


I Got Hissed When I Cracked My Lover On The Wrist

by Stay_Frosty



Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Violence, F/F, F/M, Good Parent Marvin (Falsettos), Good Parent Whizzer Brown, M/M, Marvin Not Being an Asshole (Falsettos), Modern AU, Past Abuse, jason is the only character that has more than 2 brain cells
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:17:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 30,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23300740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stay_Frosty/pseuds/Stay_Frosty
Summary: Marvin is delighted to be reunited with his ex lover, but becomes nervous when he notices there's something off about his behaviour.or, after the break up, Whizzer got into a relationship with someone who is an even bigger asshole than Marvin ever was.
Relationships: Dr. Charlotte/Cordelia (Falsettos), Trina/Mendel Weisenbachfeld, Whizzer Brown/Marvin, Whizzer Brown/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 179
Kudos: 276





	1. Chapter 1

Marvin was doing a terrible job at hiding just how bored he was as he and the others sat and watched Jason play baseball. It wasn't his fault, okay? It's just that the sport was so horrifically boring in the first place and the fact that the whole team, especially his son, were terrible at it certainly did not help.

"Marvin, honey, we really wish you would take this a little bit more seriously," Cordelia politely interjected, Charlotte nodding in agreement beside her, as he complained once again about being there. He ignored the two but couldn't suppress the roll of his eyes as Trina glared at him.

"Marvin this is your son we are talking about, quit being a jackass and pay attention," she snapped. The man wanted to argue but his ex-wife did have a good point, so he kept shut as continued watching Jason make errors. The most pathetical errors.

The five of them continued to watch the game, Mendel yelling words of encouragement that seemed to fall on deaf ears as Jason, still, failed to hit the ball. Marvin was about to make a comment when something, or someone, caught his eye.

"What is he doing here?" he asked aloud before the others even noticed that Whizzer, his ex, the one he had thrown out over a stupid game of chess over two years, the one he still thought about almost every day and regretted ever leaving, stood there gracefully.

God, he looked good. Hair perfectly styled as it always was, and the jacket seemed new but suited him wonderfully. Since when did he casually wear sunglasses?

"What are you doing here?" he heard Trina almost hiss.

Whizzer shrugged, removing his glasses and responding "Jason asked me to come, so I came." Marvin almost melted upon hearing his voice. Though he did notice it wasn't as sure, well - as cocky as it used to be. Under any situation, Whizzer would exert nothing but sass and confidence, but here, there seemed to be an edge to his voice. Almost like he was _defending_ himself. Which is why Marvin scoffed and rolled his eyes once again when Trina exclaimed "Just what I wanted at a little league game! My ex husbands ex lover! Isn't that every mother's dream?"

"I love baseball," Whizzer quickly retorted, his eyes focused on the ground. "and I love Jason,"

It looked like Trina was about to say something else, and whizzer looked uncomfortable enough, so Marvin interrupted despite the butterflies he was feeling looking at the man before him.

"Look who's here! Aren't you going to say hello?" Marvin teased, hoping his voice sounded playful enough to not make things worse for his ex.

"Hello," Whizzer replied, his eyes returning to the floor as he relentlessly scratched his thumb with his fingernail.

"You're looking sweeter than a donut,"

"Marvin," Whizzer warned, but blushed all the same, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly with the hint of a smile.

"Why don't you come sit in front of me?" Marvin suggested. "I wanna see that bald spot,"

Whizzer knitted his brows together. "What bald spot? I don't have a bald spot!" he insisted.

"Yes you do," Marvin chuckled lightheartedly. "But that's okay since it's literally the only physical imperfection you've actually got."

Whizzer huffed but did not argue as he went to take a seat in front of his ex lover. IT was weird seeing the older man again, but he couldn't help but feel warm at the fact that very little had changed between them. That is, the nice parts, they hadn't been reunited long enough to argue yet.

Marvin thought the same, and even felt comfortable enough in Whizzer's presence that he casually ran his fingers through the younger's hair, but instantly pulled away when he flinched at the contact. Trina turned, glaring, but her eyes softened instantly when she noticed the worried look on Whizzer's face.

Marvin was too shocked, and also felt a little too guilty to say anything, so he was relieved when his ex wife softly said "Whizzer, honey? Is everything alright?"

Marvin noticed Mendel turn to Charlotte and his eyes widened as the pair shared knowing glances. He was about to ask what was going on before Whizzer answered. "Yeah, I'm totally fine. It's nothing,". The man even tried throwing in a reassuring smile.

"Whiz I'm so sorry i didn't mean to startle you-"

Whizzer got up from his seat and stood beside the older man. "It's okay Marvin, really. Let's just watch the game yeah? Jason's up and i don't wanna miss it," The younger replied softly, eyes begging silently that he would just drop it. Marvin took the hint and nodded, allowing his eyes to venture back over to the field where - low and behold - his son actually managed to hit the ball.

He smiled, feeling proud of his boy. His smile widened further, however, when he noticed that in all the excitement of Jason's success, Whizzer had grabbed his arm. He looked up at the man, who's eyes hadn't left Jason, and noticed that he too looked like a proud father.

"Do you think I could give you a call?" He asked before even thinking.

Whizzer paused, obviously having to think. He looked conflicted, anxious even? Thankfully they were saved by Jason bounding over, hugging his mother tightly, high-fiving the lesbians and Mendel before making his way over to the pair.

"Hi dad, hey Whizzer!" he smiled, out of breath and rosy cheeked from the game. "Thanks for coming!"

Whizzer smiled back, fist pumping Jason before responding "No problem kiddo! You were great, I'm so proud of you!"

Marvin's heart warmed at his son's toothy grin. "Thanks Whizzer! I'm gonna go see my mom now. I'll see you tomorrow dad!" Jason announced before bouncing back over to Trina and Mendel.

The two were left in comfortable silence before Whizzer blurted "yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, you can call me," he said, wringing his hands together. "If you still want to, that is,"

Marvin was too relieved that Whizzer had accepted his offer to notice that his eyes didn't quite sparkle like they used to, or the way his hands shook as the scribbled down his number on a piece of paper.

"Do you need a ride home?"

"No," he answered far too quickly. He coughed, awkwardly. "I mean no, it's okay, I have a cab coming but uh, thank you. It was nice seeing you again, Marv," and with that, he hurried quickly off the grounds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marvin and Jason bond over Pizza and Whizzer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! thank you so much for the lovely response on the first chapter! I'm so glad you're all enjoying. this chapter is a little bit of a filler but it's important and Jason is baby so that's all that matters :) let me know your thoughts!

Marvin stared hopelessly at the tatted slip of paper that he held in his hands. It was only a day after he had seen his ex again for the first time in two whole, miserable years: was it too soon to call? Would he look desperate? Wait, no he _was_ desperate. But what if he’d gotten the wrong idea? What if Whizzer was only being polite and was secretly praying that Marvin never called. 

No, that didn’t make sense. Whizzer would never do something he didn’t want to, ever. He would make a snide remark about how he was far too good for Marvin and that his request to see him again was ludicrous. Yet Whizzer did seem... _different_ at the game yesterday. Less sass and more ‘keep your head down and hope no one notices you’. It was concerning to say the least, but Marvin quickly realised that if _he_ hadn’t kicked him out, over a game of chess at that, then he wouldn’t be in this position now and therefore he couldn’t really complain. 

Maybe he should just text him instead? That sounded more appealing, less desperate; Whizzer could just ignore him if he wanted to: no pressure on him. After another few minutes of umming and ahhing, he finally settled on texting the man and began to type.

He held the entire phone in his left hand and typed the message out with the pointer finger of his right hand, something that Jason would often roll his eyes at and something Whizzer would call him an old woman for. The kid _tried_ to teach his father how to type normally, but after the third attempt resulting in his phone slipping out of his hands and onto the floor, he settled on typing like an old woman for the rest of his life. 

“ _Hi Whizzer, it was great seeing you yesterday. Do you want to maybe meet again sometime? Money’s on me - Marvin”_

Was that too formal? Too uncool? Oh fuck it, Marvin had never been cool - ever, in his life. Whizzer already knew this anyway, what difference would it make? He hit send, ignoring the bubbling anxiety that told him to leave well enough alone. 

He couldn’t dwell on it too much, however, as a frantic knock on the door shook him from his thoughts. Right, of course, how could he forget it was friday night? His son was about the only thing keeping him going these days, even if for a long while the atmosphere between them was tense and uncomfortable. He couldn’t blame the kid for being angry at him. First he’d broken his mother’s heart, split up the family and ran off with a man. Then, as soon as Jason began considering said man part of their little family, he broke _his_ heart too and kicked him out. Of _course_ Jason was angry. But eventually they fixed their relationship and his son seemed finally happy to be in his father’s company. 

“I’m coming!” Marvin yelled as he put down his phone and approached the door, but the repetitive knocking did not relent. “Jesus,” he hissed under his breath. 

“Hey dad” he was greeted by a mop of curls bounding towards him, backpack on and computer hand. The kid sounded cynical as ever, probably anticipating what was to come as his mother caught up and stood in the doorway, Mendel beside her. 

“Hey buddy,” he smiled at his son, who had already kicked off his shoes, slung his backpack onto the floor, neatly placed his computer down on the coffee table and made himself comfortable. “Trina, Mendel, how are you?” he asked, attempting gentility. 

“I’m fine, thank you Marvin,” she responded, somewhat genuinely but the forced smile on her face argued otherwise. There seemed no sign of her trying to continue the conversation, until she softened her stance a little and added “what about you? How have you been?” 

“Uh, good. I’m good, thank you. Do you two want to come in for a coffee?” 

Trina looked uncomfortable for a moment, but Mendel seemed passive - maybe even willing. His ex-wife’s tight, forced smile returned as she said “thanks, Marv but maybe another time. Mendel and I were planning on going out for dinner tonight,” 

He tried not to sigh in relief, all three of them knowing that they weren’t quite at the ‘come on in and make yourself at home basis’ just yet. Still, he wanted to make an effort, but would be lying if he said he wasn’t secretly hoping they’d decline. 

“That’s fine, have fun,” 

_Did that sound stuck up?_ He didn’t mean for it to, but what if it did? He genuinely meant the comment, he was long over Trina remarrying, even happy for her when he realised he was only upset because he couldn’t have the same with whizzer. It wasn’t her fault, and he soon came to the conclusion that he could only fix his relationship with his son if he made an effort with his son's mother. 

“Thanks Marvin, See ya later buddy!” Mendel shouted through to Jason, who passively waved in response, more interested in whatever was on TV. 

“Bye honey! Be good for your father!” Trina yelled, also, but was met with a similar response. Marvin chuckled and shook his head at his son’s ignorance. “He’ll be fine Trin, don’t worry. Have a nice weekend” 

After seeing the Weisenbachfeld’s out, Marvin turned to Jason who, unsurprisingly, was still engrossed in the TV. “So,” He began, standing next to the sofa. Jason raised his head. “Why was Whizzer at your game yesterday?" 

The stern dad mode he'd planned on possessing was soon replaced by the smile that crept up on his face when he thought about Whizzer. He even folded his arms in an attempt to maintain the visage, but his son saw right through and gave him a toothy smile in return. 

"Whizzer likes baseball!" he defended innocently. He looked as if he was going to say something else but decided against it, still Marvin knew it was probably going to be something more meaningful than his ex’s love of the sport. 

He knew that Jason missed Whizzer almost as much as he did and how weird it was to finally accept someone into your life, only for them to disappear immediately. Marvin felt a pang of guilt attack his lungs: god what was wrong with him? However, knowing that his son was a great fan of talking about feelings, and not convinced he could actually bear to hear the answer if his son chose to respond, he decided against pushing for answers and averted the subject matter.

“Is pizza okay for dinner, bud?” 

Jason stared at him, deadpan. “Frozen or takeout?” 

It _was_ going to be frozen, but the look on his son’s face told him there was only one acceptable answer. Oh well, it’s not like he was short of money; he lived by himself, who the hell was he going to spend it on apart from Jason?

“Takeout, obviously.” He muttered nonchalantly. 

Jason grinned. “Then yes please” 

Oh thank god. Marvin picked up his phone to dial the pizza place when he noticed a notification on his lock screen. He opened it and couldn’t help the blush that crept up his neck as he smiled helplessly at his screen. 

“ _Hey Marv, it was great seeing you too :) I would love to see you again. How about this weekend?”_

He stared gormlessly at his screen until Jason announced “Geez dad, I didn’t know you liked pizza _that_ much” with a questioning look on his face. “What? Is the Pizza delivery guy cute?”

It should have been teasing, but his son sounded deadly serious. Marvin scoffed. “No, of course not. But uh, I think I have a date?” 

Jason’s face lit up temporarily but then fell again. “Please tell me it’s with Whizzer and not some random dude you met at a bar?” 

Marvin blushed harder than he knew was possible. “Okay A) It’s none of your business who I date”. _He knew secretly that it was completely his son’s business who he dated, but whatever._ “B), Whizzer _is_ someone I met at a bar,”. (Jason scrunched his nose in disgust). “And C), yes it’s Whizzer” 

Jason’s face lit up again as he grinned. “I knew it! When’s your date?” 

Marvin’s face fell for a moment. “Uh, I’m not sure yet. He suggested this weekend but obviously that’s a no.” 

The kid furrowed his brows. “Why?” he almost snapped. 

“Jace, do you really think I would ditch you for a date? Not happening, I'll just see if he’d free sometime through the week” 

The look of surprise on his son’s face made him feel like the worst human on the planet. Sure, a Marvin from two years ago was an asshole and probably wouldn’t think twice about leaving Jason on his own so he could get laid, but he was different now. He’d been through therapy, good therapy that is, not Dr Mendel Weisenbachfeld. He’d worked on being a better person, a better friend and most importantly a better father. So no, under no circumstance would he lose the only time he sees his son for a date, even if said date was with the man he’d privately pined after for the last two years. 

“But dad!! I’ll be fine for a little on my own! Why don’t you just meet him for coffee tomorrow?” 

“Jason the answer is no, I know you’ll be fine on your own but the point is that i don’t _want_ to leave you by yourself when I only see you for 2 nights a week,” 

The corners of his son’s mouth twitched into a sort of smile, but then he turned very serious. “Why don’t you invite him for dinner tomorrow?” 

Marvin considered it for a second. Would that be too much for Whizzer? Too much too soon? He could always say no right? Fuck it. 

_I’ve got Jace this weekend, but he wants you to come over dinner. It’s up to you, we can meet throughout the week if you would prefer?_

He waited a few minutes for a reply, Jason looking up at him expectantly. 

_I would love to. Thanks Marvin. Tell Jason I say hi :)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which two grown men share their emotions, but aren't very good at it for long

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! I hope you are all doing well. as i said in my authors note, there is a tiny hint of smut in this chapter but it's nothing too explicit because a) i've never written smut before and this is the first time i've written anything remotely sexual, (so please dont judge too harshly) and b) i am a l e s b i a n and do not know how men work

“The apparment’s never been cleaner,” Jason observed as Marvin fluffed the cushions of the sofa _again_. He had spent the whole morning cleaning the house and even made Jason clean his room, despite his son’s stubborn protests of “I didn’t realise we were eating in my room!” 

After that the pair had gone grocery shopping, buying candles and expensive wine. Marvin was even in such a good mood that he allowed Jason to choose a bunch of snacks with a budget of $10.

His son was right, the apartment had never looked nicer, even when Whizzer _lived_ there for Christ’s sake. Still, he was nervous and wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible. 

“Jason take your computer upstairs!” he yelled through to the kitchen where his son was making cereal and, no doubt, a mess. Seriously who the hell eats cereal at 4pm anyway? Oh 

who cares, he wasn’t in the mood to argue. 

He looked around to see what else needed doing but it seemed everything had already been done, which gave him time to go shower and get dressed for tonight. Was he making too much of a big deal of this? Was it even a date? Hell, Jason was even going to be there so it probably wasn’t. Yet then again, Whizzer did want to meet him with the understanding that Jason wouldn't be there so. Who knows?

He’d dwell on it later, right now he had to get changed before Whizzer arrived. After showering, dressing in that green shirt that Whizzer used to say brought out his eyes and a pair of smart black jeans, doing the best he could with the mess of curls that was his hair and, okay, wearing his most expensive aftershave, he felt as if he was finally ready. Which was certainly a good thing since it was 6.55pm and Whizzer was due any minute. 

“Jason,”

His son raised his head from the TV screen. 

“Do I look okay?” 

Jason stared at him skeptically, eyeing him up and down as if he was finding something to pick on. Marvin was growing nervous before his son nodded and muttered “you look nice”. 

He released a breath of relief before the doorbell rang, and after brushing his hands down his shirt and checking the cushions once more, he approached the door to answer it. There whizzer stood, looking truly breathtaking. He wore a blue shirt with the top few buttons undone, revealing his neck and part of his collarbone with a leather jacket on top of it. His hair was immaculately styled, but there was nothing new there, and he wore a small, sweet smile on his face as Marvin looked over him. 

“Hey Marv. I, uh, brought some wine,” Whizzer declared with a somewhat nervous tone. “You look good,” he added. 

Marvin released a nervous laugh as he was handed the wine, which was nowhere near as fancy as the shit _he_ had bought for the occasion but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that Whizzer was here and - “God, you look gorgeous,” he commented without thinking, mentally slapping himself as an afterthought. “I, uh, mean you look good too.”

He didn’t miss the rosy blush Whizzer wore as he sweetly thanked him. 

“So, I tried cooking but Jason said it tasted awful and it would be inhumane to expect you to eat it, so I thought we could order chinese?” 

Whizzer chuckled; only Jason would be so brutally upfront and honest, but part of him was grateful. He’d dated Marvin for 9 months, he knew how bad his cooking was. “Sounds great to me,” he responded cheerfully. It had been ages since he had proper takeout; money had never been great and Warren had always told him he could do without the extra pounds and- nevermind. 

“Great, i’ll go grab the menu. Jason should be down in a second. He’s taken his computer upstairs, I asked him hours ago but he waited until the minute you knocked.” 

Whizzer nodded and took a seat as Marvin offered him one. It felt weird to be invited to sit on a couch that he had fallen asleep on without a thought for such a long period of time. He wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or disheartened that the flat looked more or less exactly like it did 2 years ago. On the one hand, the nostalgia was nice, on the other Marvin had absolutely as much taste now as he did back then - which is not a lot. 

Marvin went out into the kitchen and returned shortly after with a glass of red wine in each hand and a menu tucked underneath his arm. Whizzer thanked him as he received the drink and the pair began deciding what to order. 

“Oh Marv, you really don’t have taste in anything do you?” he judged, but his tone was playful. Marvin’s heart leaped not only at the nickname, but at the fact that this was the first time since seeing him again Whizzer was acting like his old self. Maybe it was the glass of expensive alcohol that they’d both managed to finish while deciding what to order, or maybe he was just becoming comfortable again in Marvin’s presence. It didn’t matter, he was just happy to have Whizzer back. 

“Oh shush, I dated you for 10 months, I have to have _some_ taste”

They both went silent. What the hell had possessed him to say that? No more wine for him. Jesus, what was wrong with him? Stupid head having stupid thoughts and stupid _mouth_ for saying it out loud and- 

“9 months!” Whizzer corrected teasingly, a smile creeping up on his face. “And like I said, no taste,” 

Oh. that was weird, Whizzer was always one for boosting his own ego, speaking highly of himself and never being modest or indiscreet. Everything that had once irritated, yet intrigued, him about Whizzer’s personality was now what he longed for. He wanted Whizzer to love himself. He deserved to. 

“What the hell are you talking about? I was punching way above my weight when i was with you, and I suppose I still am since you’re, y’know, here,” 

Whizzer didn’t argue, but he didn't agree either. The pair talked and caught up while nursing another glass of wine until the food came. Whizzer didn’t have a lot to say about himself and his life over the past two years, and Marvin wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear it anyway. God, if something awful happened to WHizzer because he was childish and kicked him out, then petty for not calling him he- god he couldn’t bear the thought. 

There was a knock on the door. Marvin got up and collected the bags of food before handing the guy $30 and telling him to keep the change. Little footsteps thundered down the stairs at the notion of food - of course Jason would leave it until now to say hello. 

“Hey Whizzer! Glad you came. My dad’s been stressing all day trying to make tonight nice for you”.

Marvin blushed and threw a small glare at his son who was either extremely clever or oblivious. Of course, he knew it wasn’t the latter. Jason was the smartest person he knew and the boy’s smirk only clarified that.

As they ate their meals, Whizzer asked Jason about how school was going, they talked about baseball and playfully teased Marvin about anything they could. It was just like it was two years ago, except Marvin hadn’t forced Whizzer into making the food, there wasn’t an awkward tension between them from an argument about said food, Jason was smiling instead of wanting the earth to swallow him whole and the teasing was meant in jest and didn’t infuriate the older man. It was just like two years ago but much healthier.

As they finished, the majority of the food and a whole bottle of wine were consumed, they returned to the living room. Marvin would wash up later he decided. 

Jason announced he was having an early night, a knowing smirk on his face. Marvin sighed, since when was his 12 year old his wingman? Whatever. 

“Night pal,” Marvin said as he ruffled his son’s hair. “Night, buddy,” Whizzer also smiled as Jason moved towards the stairs. “Night guys.”

Whizzer waited until Jason was definitely in his room before turning to Marvin with a smile on his face and saying “oh, Marv. He’s amazing, you must be so proud of him” 

He knew that was Whizzer’s way of expressing his own pride for the boy he once viewed as his son without overstepping the mark. It made Marvin’s heart swell to know Whizzer still felt the same way about the kid; it was good to know his toxic behaviour hadn’t broken the special bond the pair had. The bond that once filled him with jealousy, now filled him with pride and happiness. God, being less angry all the time made him a sap. 

“He’s missed you, y’know,” 

Whizzer smiled but there was an element of sadness behind it. “I’ve missed him too,” he sighed. “Both of you”. 

“God, whiz. I am _so_ sorry,” he blurted, his voice betraying him and cracking on the adverb. “I didn’t deserve you, and i took you for granted and messed everything up and i can’t tell you how much i regret it and how sorry I am-” he was rambling. He knew he was and he needed to stop before the alcohol in his system got the better of him and he started to cry but he just couldn’t and- 

“Oh Marv,” Whizzer interjected softly, resting his hand against Marvin's cheek, which the older man instinctively leaned into. “We were both assholes back then. You were worked up all the time and I was slut and- I’m sorry as well,” 

They took their seats on the sofa, sitting rather close and facing one another. Marvin laughed at the madness of the situation but also out of self pity. “I’ve been so lost without you,” He quietly admitted, blinking up at his ex through wet eyelashes, praying the tears filling in his eyes weren’t noticeable. Regardless, they fell softly and silently and he hadn’t even noticed until the man before him gently wiped them away with his thumb. 

Without thinking, because let’s face it - he hasn't done much of that tonight anyway, why start now, he leaned in and pressed his lips against Whizzer’s. Before he had a chance to worry that he had gone too far, Whizzer returned the kiss, just as delicately as Marvin did. 

Out of muscle memory, Marvin’s hand found its way up to the back of Whizzer’s hair. He laced his fingers through the chestnut strands, tugging very gently which incited a small, needy whine from the younger man. Marvin pulled away for a moment to relish in the look on the other man’s face, all rosy cheeked and lips still parted ever so slightly. 

Marvin leaned in once more, brushing his tongue against Whizzer’s bottom lip, causing the man to gasp gently and lean in further. Marvin pulled the younger man closer to him and positioned his other hand on Whizzer’s waist. They kissed softly, yet passionately until they had to part for air, and as they did, Marvin pushed Whizzer gently down onto his back, leaning over him with a leg strategically placed between the other man’s thighs. Whizzer gasped and pulled Marvin down to kiss him once more. Testing the waters a little, Marvin rolled his hips against Whizzer’s, arousing a soft moan from said man as he rolled his head back, giving Marvin perfect access to his neck. 

He began softly kissing down Whizzer’s jaw, making his way down the side of his neck, biting and sucking when appropriate, causing Whizzer to moan quietly and buck his hips. Marvin groaned softly and sat up a little so he could unbutton more of his shirt, not without checking it was okay first of course. The flushed, needy look on Whizzer’s face could only be described as angelic as Marvin slowly undid his shirt. Before long, it had been completely removed and discarded on the floor, as was Marvin’s. Now each only in their jeans, they were both hard as a rock, moving their hips against one anothers. Marvin grunted quietly into the crook of Whizzer’s neck, letting only small phrases like ‘oh fuck’ and ‘god yes’ leave his mouth otherwise as the man below him whined and gasped in a similar fashion. It was a little weird; Marvin had seen every inch of Whizzer, had him in all sorts of positions and had made love to him god knows how many times. Yet here they were, rutting against each other like horny teenagers, like none of that had ever happened. 

Whizzer moved to undo his own belt, to which Marvin caressed his cheek and checked "Are you sure?" 

The younger man nodded eagerly and continued with his belt until Marvin lay a hand on top of his. Whizzer looked up, eyes wide and nervous. “Do you wanna go upstairs?” Marvin whispered. The man below him looked conflicted. “What about Jason? If i remember you’re not exactly quiet,” he retorted, a smirk on his face. Marvin rolled his eyes and moved to nudge the man playfully for his comment, but halted when he noticed Whizzer’s subtle, yet all too noticeable flinch. 

Marvin moved back and tried to look Whizzer in the eyes, but the younger man was avoiding making eye contact. “Whiz,” he whispered softly, like he was trying not to startle a frightened deer. “I’m sorry i-” 

“No,” whizzer interrupted, “you didn’t do anything wrong, let’s just go upstairs”. Maybe Marvin would have left it and jumped at the chance if it wasn’t for the reluctant, yet nervous tone in his voice. What kind of monster would he be if he ignored this and took advantage of the vulnerable man no longer underneath him, but beside him. 

“Has someone hurt you?” Marvin asked quietly. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so blunt, but that was their thing. There were never secrets between them, if one was mad with the other, they sure as hell knew about it. If something had happened, they told each other because, while they were a rather toxic couple, they were always honest with each other. 

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” the other snapped. 

“Yes you do,” 

“Drop it, Marvin,” 

“No,” 

“Why not?” Whizzer demanded harshly. “I’m willing to fuck you. That’s what you want right?”

Marvin’s face fell, as did Whizzer’s. The angry look he wore turned sombre as he scanned around the room, avoiding the older man’s eyes. Before Marvin could say anything, he continued. “That’s what everyone wants, so let’s just get on with it”. 

Whizzer truly looked like he could break down any second and Marvin had no idea what to do. While he has improved as a person, he still wasn’t great at handling his own emotions, let alone anyone else's. “Who hurt you?” he asked again. His tone was darker than he had wanted it to be, but whizzer didn’t seem to notice. 

“Why are you so bothered, Marvin?”

“Jesus Christ, because I care about you, whiz! And if someone has hurt you i want to know who it is so i can rip them limb from fucking-” he stopped himself from continueing as he felt the anger inside him bubble. Being furious wouldn’t help anyone, especially Whizzer. 

“No one’s hurting me, Marvin. Leave it, please,” he begged, to which Marvin gave in and nodded. 

“Okay,” he sighed. “Okay , I’m sorry I pushed. I just freaked. It wasn’t fair on you. Are you okay?” god that should have been his first question. What an idiot. He felt worse as whizzer half hearted reached for his shirt and began to fasten it back up. 

“I’m fine but, maybe we could just watch a movie instead?” he suggested meekly. “O-or I could leave, if you would prefer”

Marvin shook his head, reaching gently for Whizzer’s arm. “No,” he said quietly. “Stay, please” 

“Okay,” Whizzer smiled, and took a seat beside Marvin once again. They decided to watch Revenge of the Sith because Whizzer was secretly a massive dork, but he covered it up with the excuse of “The guy who plays Anakin is hot”

There, they fell asleep, Whizzer’s head on Marvin’s shoulder, their previous troubles forgotten. Everything would be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as usual, your comments are very much appreciated and thank you all for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whizzer wakes up on Marvin's couch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry that this chapter is pretty short and it is definitely not my best work. there will be more plot next chapter! also apologies for how long this took to get out, i had SO much online college work last week and had absolutely no time to write, hoping next week won't be the same but if it is weekends are the only time i get to write. very sorry!

When Whizzer woke the next morning, he was on a sofa with a crick in his neck and a blanket thrown carefully over his body. Where the hell was he? Oh, shit. Yeah. Marvin’s; that was right. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, his plan was to actually finish the movie and catch a cab home, but clearly that hadn’t gone according to plan. 

“Morning sleepyhead,” he heard a voice call as Marvin entered the room, two mugs in hand. The smell of coffee hit his nose. 

Whizzer sighed. “Marvie, that’s sweet but you know i don't-”

“Like coffee. Yeah, I remembered,” Marvin interrupted, a smirking crawling onto his face. “That’s why yours’ is hot chocolate” 

He’d said it so a-matter-of-factly, as if Whizzer was an idiot for thinking he wouldn't remember, and when he was handed the mug he looked down at the contents with delight. Marvin had taken the time to squirt whipped cream neatly on top of the drink, as well as placing tiny marshmallows and sprinkles on top of it.

The younger man couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips at the realisation that his ex still remembered exactly how he liked his drinks. 

“I don’t know how the hell you drink that stuff, it’s far too sweet. It’ll rot your teeth” Marvin scolded, as if he hadn’t been the one to prepare and give whizzer the hot drink. The older man used to scoff with distaste when he watched his lover ruin his drink with sugar, so it surprised Whizzer that he’d willingly filled the mug with so much sweetness. 

“I don’t know how the hell you drink that!” Whizzer retorted, motioning to Marvin’s black coffee with disgust. He couldn’t help but feel happy at the familiarity of their stupid arguments that now had such less venom and meaning to them as they did before. 

“How did you sleep? I know the couch isn’t the comfiest” 

“I guess it’s just pay back for how many times I made you sleep there after you were a dick,”. The memory wasn’t a fond one, but he wore a teasing grin on his face nonetheless, as did Marvin. 

“Yeah, I guess it is.” The smile never left his face despite the reminder of the person he used to be. “Do you wanna go out for breakfast? I usually take Jason out on a sunday but i’m sure he’d love to have you with us.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t wanna overstay my welcome, or intrude your time with Jason,” he excused, but Marvin shook his head. “Nonsense,” he insisted. “The kid’s missed you, he’d love for you to come along," 

"Are you sure?" he asked, still not convinced. 

Before Marvin could respond, they heard the sound of little footsteps thundering down the stairs. “Morning buddy,” he greeted his son cheerfully. He must have been up a good hour or so before Whizzer, because he was never in this much of a good mood in the morning. 

“Hey dad,” Jason grumbled, followed by a yawn. The poor kid’s hair was a mess of unbrushed curls that stuck out in every direction, and the childish pajamas he wore did nothing to help his style. The two men couldn’t help but smile at how innocent the boy looked. Jason was usually so intellectually ahead of everyone else in the room no matter where he went, it was difficult to remember sometimes how young he actually was. 

“Hey whizzer?” Jason tilted his head. 

“Whats up, sweetheart?” 

The kid still looked confused. “How did you get that bruise on your neck?” 

“Okaaay,” Marvin interrupted, dragging out the word “How does pancakes for breakfast sound?” he suggested in an attempt to change the subject, to which his son’s eyes lit up. Whizzer couldn’t help but sigh in relief and hoped he didn’t look as red as he felt. Yet again, by the look on Marvin’s face, he probably did. 

“Yes! Can whizzer come too?” Jason replied, voice excited and happy. God how could he say no to that kid? Marvin gave him a pointed look from behind his coffee, no doubt wearing a smirk on his face. “Well i guess that’s up to Whizzer,” he said fondly. 

He fought the urge to roll his eyes and instead smiled in the kid’s direction. “Of course I can honey,” 

“ _But,”_ Marvin warned in his ‘dad voice’. “You have to shower and comb your hair first. Hurry up,” 

Jason nodded and ran back up the stairs. Wow, the offer of a sugary breakfast really can get a kid to do as he’s told. Okay, yes, Whizzer saw the irony in the fact that he was consuming an ungodly amount of sugar too, but he was a grown man and he’d do whatever the hell he wanted. 

“Told you,” Marvin teased. 

“Whatever,” Whizzer scoffed, but he was secretly delighted that his old family wanted him around so badly. “Do you mind if we stop by my place first? I need a change of clothes.” 

Marvin knew better than to offer a pair of his own clothes and quickly agreed. Within 20 minutes Jason was showered with a fresh pair of clothes on and his hair done, eager to leave and get food. 

Whizzer gave Marvin directions to his apartment so that he could wear something he hadn’t slept in because, ew, gross, and he had invited him and Jason in for a few minutes while he went to freshen up. “Jace, there’s cola in the fridge if you want some. Help yourself,” he told the boy, ignoring the disapproving looks he was getting from his father. “Thanks, whizzer!” he called and wandered off into the kitchen. 

He couldn’t help but smile at the boy as he went into his room, god he’d missed him. Being back with Marvin and Jason just felt _right_ in a way that he couldn’t explain. He caught his reflection in the mirror and couldn’t help but be surprised at how happy he actually looked; the last 24 hours had made him feel like an ultimate sap, and yet he didn't mind.

Family always seemed like such a foreign, fairy-tale thing, and the thought of settling down and having one seemed terrifying. But the way Jason looked at him like he hung the stars in the sky? The way Marvin teased him with domestic adoration? Well, he could get used to that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they get more than they bargained for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!! -TRIGGER WARNING- for violence in this chapter (i warned you, Whizzer's ex is an asshole!). if you would like to avoid that, I'll put ** for the general violence and abuse
> 
> the last thing i want to do is upset anyone or stress anyone out!

The morning had gone seemingly very well. They bumped into Cordelia as they were leaving Marvin’s apartment. She made them promise, through a teasing smirk, to stop by later and try some of the brownies she’d made, with the promise of wine being included. Then, after stopping by Whizzer’s place so he could change into something else, the three-headed to Jason’s favourite diner for breakfast. 

The drive there was sweet and oddly domestic; quiet, save for Jason’s occasional ramblings, and Marvin asking further questions about how he’d been for the last two years. None of it felt contrived, however, any silence was warm and comforting rather than awkward, and the soft hum of the engine filled the space. 

When they arrived, Marvin ordered a pot of black coffee, pancakes, and a side of bacon. His food simplistic and his coffee bitter, Whizzer noted how it fit him. He and Jason, being ever alike, (Whizzer liked to believe that this was because he had a naturally close bond with his ex-step son and not because he, himself, was childish), both ordered the most eccentric plate of waffles on the menu, as well as Milkshakes. Marvin shook his head fondly at the two and debated making a passive joke about the price of it all. He quickly decided against it when he realised Whizzer would then insist on paying for his share. 

The trio ate their food mostly in silence, save for Jason piping up excitedly about something, and Marvin scolding him for talking with a mouth full of food. Whizzer smiled and laughed fondly at the glare the kid shot his father as he continued to ramble, still not swallowing his food. 

Marvin shook his head knowing that getting his son to listen to a word he says would be impossible. He smiled and then looked over at Whizzer, who seemed to have had all the colour drained from his face. 

“Hey, Whiz? You doing okay?” 

Whizzer stared into nothingness, eyes not moving from behind Marvin, who turned around to see a tall man, who glared daggers into Whizzer’s skull as he looked him up and down. The man wore a navy blue three-piece suit, smart black leather shoes, and had his hair gelled and neatly styled. He looked younger than Marvin, but older than Whizzer, especially with the wrinkles on his forehead caused by the furious look on his face.

“Warren,” Whizzer gasped. The man in question looked full of hell. Whizzer stood up from his seat, hands in front of his chest, palms facing the other man in polite surrender, desperate to stop anything escalating. Marvin noticed how terrified he looked, and decided he hated this ‘Warren’ more than anything else in the world.

**  
“What the fuck is that on your neck?” he spat as he grabbed a fist full of the younger man’s hair and pulled, forcing him to crane his neck. “You really are a slut, aren’t you?”

Whizzer yelped in pain and tried to remove himself from Warren’s grip, but this only made the other man yank harder. “Couldn’t go more than a week without getting fucked, could you? You’re pathetic,”

“Get off me!” Whizzer begged, trying his hardest to minimise the fear that traced his voice. People were starting to look. “Please don't cause a scene,” he seemed to whimper, terrified that if this carried on much longer, someone would step in. He didn’t want anyone else to get hurt, especially not Marvin. God forbid he touched Jason. 

“Please,” Whizzer begged pathetically. “Please just leave. We’ll talk later okay?” 

Warren scoffed. Clearly, Whizzer’s attempt at a compromise was fruitless, but he did loosen the grip on the brunette's hair. He glanced towards Marvin, who looked absolutely furious, and Jason who looked beyond terrified. 

Marvin stood up, shorter than Whizzer, and certainly shorter than Warren. Whizzer half expected him to stand on one of the chairs to assert dominance, as he regularly used to do. He always found it adorable, even when they were arguing and he was annoyed at Marvin, but he prayed silently he wouldn’t do it here and make anything worse. 

“Hey! What the hell is your problem?” Marvin spat, squaring his shoulders and glaring up at Warren. The man released Whizzer completely and shoved him to the right, his focus shifting entirely. 

“Marvin. Leave it, let’s just go,” Whizzer suggested, but Marvin couldn’t leave this after hearing just how much his voice shook. 

Warren’s whole demeanour shifted, and a faux smile broke out on his face as he raised an eyebrow. “Oh,” he said, voice sickly sweet. “So this is Marvin?”. His eyes moved to Jason, whose eyes were wide and terrified. Whizzer quickly took a seat next to the, putting as much distance between him and his ex as possible. 

“And you must be Jason?” 

Jason nodded, frightened. 

“Don’t talk to him,” Marvin yelled, grabbing Warren’s shoulder forcefully and turning him away from Whizzer and Jason. “I want you to leave, and never talk to my family again.” 

In their 9 months of dating, Whizzer had never seen Marvin so angry. Not when the dishes weren’t done, not when his coffee wasn’t quite right, not even when he was invited to Trina’s wedding - and that was definitely saying something. That scared Whizzer. 

“Or what big guy?” Warren snarled, grabbing Marvin by the collar of his shirt. “You’ll hit me?”. His tone changed from aggressive to mocking, he even pouted his lips for effect. “Go on freak, I dare you.” 

Whizzer felt Jason curl into his side. He wrapped a protective arm around the boy as he trembled. 

“What is it?” he taunted when Marvin didn’t move. “Are you too pussy to hit someone other than your wife?” 

Something inside Marvin snapped at the reference to Trina. He braced himself for the inevitable pain it would cause him also, brought his head back, and clashed with Warren’s face with as much force as he could muster. 

Furious, Warren punched Marvin straight in the jaw, then fisted a hand through his hair. He forced the shorter man to turn and then slammed his face into the table. Jason jumped beside Whizzer, who was about to step in until one of the waitresses angrily told Warren to leave. 

**

Right. Of course, Marvin and Jason were regulars there. The waitress had blonde hair that was neatly curled into a bob, striking makeup on top of soft, kind eyes. She’d begun clearing up the coffee that was split when Marvin had been attacked, simultaneously fussing over Jason and checking the boy was okay. 

“I’m really sorry about that Audrey, here, let me clean that up for you,” Marvin offered. 

There was a time where Marvin used to turn his nose up at waitresses, or shop assistants or anyone who was in a minimum wage job. He’d claim it was their job to clean up after him, that’s what they were getting paid for. It was a stark contrast to now. 

“Don’t worry about it, honey,” she replied sweetly. She had a thick accent, but her voice was soft and kind. “Some people are just like that, neither of ya faults.” 

Once she had left to take another table’s order, Whizzer rushed to Marvin’s side. “Are you okay?” he asked quickly, placing a gentle hand on Marvin’s arm. “God, Marvin I am so sorry i-” 

He didn’t even know what to say. How could he begin to apologise for- 

“It’s okay, Whiz,” Marvin assured softly. Whizzer hadn’t realised how much the speed of his breathing had increased until Marvin held his hand gently and told him to take a minute. “It’s okay,” he soothed. “Breathe, Whizzer. I’m here, you’re safe,” 

“Y-you’re bleeding,” Whizzer pointed out. His voice trembled, as did his hands and his eyes were glossed over with tears. “Oh my god, I can’t believe he- Marvin I’m so sorry,” 

“Let’s just go home, okay?” Marvin sighed. There was no anger or malice that laced his voice but Whizzer was nervous nonetheless. 

The drive back was awkward and tense; silent, without Jason’s occasional ramblings. Marvin would attempt to fill the time with comments about this and that. It all felt contrived. The silence was uncomfortable rather than warm as it had been, and the soft hum of the engine did nothing to fill the space. 

“Are you okay?” Marvin asked softly. 

Whizzer couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re the one that’s bleeding,” he retorted. 

To his relief, Marvin laughed as well. “I’ll live”. 

The drive, once again, was silent. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marvin and Whizzer talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this chapter! As usual comments are very much appreciated :)

"Should we call Charlotte? She can look you over," Whizzer suggested. He felt terrible that Marvin had been hurt while trying to stand up for him. They had barely even stepped into the building before he started fussing again over Marvin's injuries. 

"It's her day off Whiz," Marvin sighed. Whizzer looked to the ground, feeling even guiltier than before. Marvin seemed to notice. "It's alright," he soothed, taking Whizzer's hand in his. He gently grazed his thumb over the back of the younger man's hand to try and calm him. "We said we'd stop by theirs later on anyway, right? If she mentions anything then I'll let her check me out, yeah?" 

Whizzer nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. “Are you sure you don’t want me to leave? I think I've caused you enough trouble for one day,”

Marvin gently cupped the younger man’s face, encouraging him to make eye contact for the first time since they arrived back at the apartment. Whizzer’s soft brown eyes were glazed over with tears; Marvin's heart sunk at how scared he looked. “Kid,” he murmured softly. “It wasn’t your fault,” 

Whizzer scoffed and tried to pull away, but Marvin stayed deadly serious. “It wasn’t. But I do think we should talk.”

They each took a seat on the sofa, more or less facing each other. Marvin grabbed the other man’s hand once again. It occurred to him that he really should clean up the blood on his lip and put some ice on his eye, but that could wait. 

“Jason, buddy, can you go upstairs for a few minutes?” 

He wasn’t a dumb kid, and despite his age, he wasn’t naive. He knew when a situation was serious enough for him not to argue with his dad, so he quickly nodded and did as he was told. “Who was that guy?” Marvin asked, keeping his voice low and soothing. The last thing he wanted was for Whizzer to think he was mad. 

“Until a few weeks ago, my boyfriend,” Whizzer sighed. Kudos to him, his voice only trembled a little bit. “I got with him a little while after we split up”. _After I kicked you out_ Marvin thought to himself bitterly but said nothing as he didn’t want to interrupt. “He seemed like a nice enough guy. Rich. Gave me a place to stay. He treated me well at first, he wasn’t perfect but, neither am I”. 

He took a breath and continued talking. “I wasn’t in love with him or anything, but it wasn’t an awful relationship. Then one day I introduced myself to someone as his boyfriend and he flipped.” Marvin, upon noticing how the other man’s voice was beginning to shake, instinctively wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He was worried at first that he’d made a mistake, but Whizzer quickly settled into his side and relaxed. “I mean, how was I supposed to know that I was his dirty little secret? I lived with him for Christ's sake”. His voice was becoming more and more frustrated as he spoke of the memory. “He took me home and we got into this huge fight. He’d ended up grabbing my wrist and broke it. Swore it was an accident but,” he sighed. “I still don’t know whether it actually was or not,” 

Horrified, Marvin used his other arm to envelop the younger man in an even tighter embrace. Whizzer seemed to be appreciative of the comfort and allowed Marvin to move them both back so that they were no longer sitting up completely, but leaning against the back of the couch. “Stuff like that happened more and more after that, but I just let it,” 

He even rested his head on Marvin’s shoulder, allowing the man to run his hands through his hair. 

“I don’t feel as bad about laying that guy out now,” 

Despite himself, Whizzer scoffed and laughed at the comment. “Come on, Marvie,” he teased. “I would hardly call getting your face smashed into a table laying someone out,” 

Thankfully, Marvin laughed along with him. “Whatever,” 

There were a few moments of silence before Marvin spoke up again. “I’m really sorry Whiz, you didn’t deserve that”. The younger man hummed in acknowledgement before curling further into Marvin’s side like he was a teddy bear. “I’m the one who stayed with him,” he argued, voice laced with shame and regret. “God, he was such an asshole but-” his voice cracked. 

“It’s okay,” Marvin soothed lovingly. “You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to,” 

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered once again. 

“Stop apologising, kid, it wasn’t your fault.”

“What if he’d hurt Jason? What if you were seriously injured?” 

Gentle fingers laced through his hair, working away at a knot. “Then that still wouldn’t have been your fault, Whizzer,” 

Whizzer took a deep, shuddering breath in. “I should have stepped in but-”

“No,” he was cut off. “No, you shouldn’t have. I stepped in, you tried to get us to leave. If anything worse happened that would be on me, baby. Not you,” 

Whizzer nodded and sighed. “He brought me flowers in the morning, said he was sorry. That it wouldn’t happen again. I didn’t believe him but I couldn’t exactly leave, I had nowhere to go,” 

He hated himself for it but Marvin froze and his heart sank. Whizzer was pouring his heart out, and he should be a good friend and listen unconditionally, yet he couldn’t help but wonder. “Is that why you stayed with me for so long?” he asked, voice wavering with uncertainty. 

“No,” Whizzer replied seriously. “It wasn’t. That was different I actually wanted to be with you,” 

While it calmed his doubts about their relationship, it made him feel even more guilty than he already felt about their break up. They’d talk about that later though, his focus right now was the man in his arms who was one step away from tears. 

“I guess I just kinda got used to it, I stopped fighting back after a while,” 

Marvin didn’t even know how to respond. Whizzer was one of the strongest people he knew, and for someone to break him down to this point, well, it broke his heart. He felt guilty, so guilty, if he hadn’t kicked Whizzer out then he wouldn’t have even met warren in the first place. After a few moments of silence, he spoke up again. “I think we should get some ice on your eye,” 

Marvin nodded and allowed Whizzer to sit up from his embrace. The younger man motioned for Marvin to stay seated as he went into the kitchen. After grabbing a dishtowel from the handle of the oven, he opened the bottom drawer of the freezer and filled it with ice. He hissed at the frosty coldness against his fingers but continued to wrap the makeshift compress regardless. 

When he returned to the front room, Marvin was still seated on the couch with his legs crossed. Whizzer awkwardly knelt over the older man and gently pressed the dishtowel against his eye. Marvin flinched at the sudden icy contact but soon relaxed into it as it soothed the ache on the side of his face. “Hold this here,” Whizzer softly instructed. “I’m gonna grab something I can use to clean up your lip,” 

Whizzer knew it was unlikely that Marvin had moved things about within the last two years, the man valued routine and believed everything had its place. So it was very probable that the first aid kit was still in the bathroom cabinet. Bingo, he was right. He grabbed the kit and headed out from the bathroom, but jumped out of his skin when he spotted Jason standing sheepishly outside the bathroom door. “Hey buddy, you frightened me there. Is everything okay?” Jason nodded but didn’t move. After a few seconds, he sighed and spoke up. “Is it okay if I come downstairs now?” he looked down at his hands and fidgeted. “I don’t really wanna be alone”. 

Whizzer’s heart sank to the floor at the shy, pitiful look on the boy’s face. No kid as young as him should have to to witness his dad get attacked like that, and despite what Marvin said, he couldn’t help but feel responsible. “Of course you can, sweetheart,” he responded softly, kneeling down to Jason’s height, he placed a gentle hand on the boy’s arm. “I’m so sorry”. 

“It wasn’t your fault Whizzer, that guy was an asshole,” Jason retorted. There was a certain edge to and venom in his voice that surprised Whizzer, yet he couldn’t help but grin. “Language, young man!” he teased. Jason smiled too. 

“Come on, your dad probably thinks I’ve gotten lost.” 

The boy followed him downstairs, where Marvin was now sprawled out on the sofa as opposed to just sitting on it, with the ice still held against his eye. “Hey kiddo!” he smiled when he caught view of his son. He sat up a little, not without a groan, and opened his free arm to beckon the kid in for a hug. Usually, Jason would turn his nose up at too much physical affection, but without arguing he curled into his father’s side. 

“This might sting a little,” Whizzer warned before he dabbed cotton wool soaked in warm water into the older man’s bloody lip. Marvin closed his eyes but didn’t flinch, not until Whizzer gently applied disinfectant. "Sorry,” he smiled timidly. Marvin shook him off with a smile and assured him that it was okay. Whizzer then took his place next to Jason, which the child saw as an opportunity to sprawl himself over the two men. He lay his head in his father’s lap, allowing Marvin to run his fingers through his son’s hair soothingly. Whizzer got the legs, so rested a hand gently on the boy’s shin, and lay his head on Marvin’s shoulder. 

He felt at home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: is a language student  
> also me: whAt dO amERicAns cAll teA tOwELs


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> good old tight knit family dinner to help the boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im deadass so sorry about how long this took to write im just busy and also have zero will to live but i hope u enjoy <3

The last few hours had been a whirlwind of emotions for Marvin, and while the cut on his lip hurt considerably less than it did, and the bruise on his eye was more of a dull throbbing than the sharp pain it had been before, he still had a long way to go before he could wrap his head around what had happened. For now, however, he was perfectly content dozing in and out of sleep on the sofa, surrounded by his favourite boys. Jason was squished in between himself and Whizzer, his arms wrapped around Whizzer’s middle like he would disappear if he let go. 

Hours passed in comfortable silence until, it being Sunday night, Trina had arrived with Mendel to pick up Jason for the week. Upon hearing the knock, Marvin woke and tried to release himself from the arm around his shoulders without waking either of the boys. Whizzer however, ever the light sleeper, had stirred and raised an eyebrow as to why Marvin had gotten up. “Trina,” he answered simply, before stretching and heading over to the door. 

"Hello Marvin, how are-", she paused, her face contorting into one of confusion. "What happened to your face?" Her tone was soft and caring, the part of her that still cared deeply about her ex-husband's well being coming out. Before Marvin could answer, Whizzer quickly interrupted from the sofa. “It was my fault Trina." 

She looked over Marvin's shoulder, rather surprised to see her son asleep on the sofa, curled up into Whizzer’s side, mouth open and looking utterly relaxed. The other man’s hand ran gently through his hair as he slept. "Oh, hello Whizzer," she greeted tentatively, hoping her shock wasn't taken as disgust. There’s worse people in the world that Marvin could decide to date than Whizzer. As much as she hated to admit it, Whizzer was charming, he could be very sweet when he wanted to be and he was so good with Jason. How could she hate a man who had such high regard for her son? 

She couldn't help but notice the redness around said man's eyes that had clearly been formed by tears and wondered momentarily if he and Marvin had already had an argument. Had Whizzer done that to Marvin? Surely not - but she couldn't help how the thought had crossed her mind. "What happened, Whizzer?" Mendel asked, interrupting her spiralling thoughts. The pair were still standing in the doorway until Marvin had invited them in, offering them both a seat on the sofa perpendicular to the one Whizzer and Jason were on. 

"Marv took me and Jason out for breakfast this morning and we ran into my ex," he timidly said, like he was a child admitting to his mother that he had done something wrong. Marvin took a seat beside Jason and reached over his son's small frame to take Whizzer's hand in an attempt to calm his nerves. "He tried to cause trouble and, uh, Marvin stuck up for me." 

“Oh,” Trina responded, clearly in shock. Mendel lay a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder and she visibly leaned into the contact. “Are you alright? He didn’t- oh god he didn’t hurt Jason did he?” 

“No, he didn’t,” Marvin quickly assured. “You would have been the first person to know if he did. He’s a little shaken up though”. 

"Poor kid looks exhausted," Mendel commented, Trina nodding in agreement next to him. "I'll talk to him later on if he's up to it." 

Maybe Mendel wasn't the best psychiatrist, but at least he had training. He was probably the best person to get through to Jason about this sort of thing, so Marvin appreciated it nonetheless. 

“I was going to wake him up before you came," he explained. “But he’s had a long day, and look at him. He looks so cute. I kinda dozed off myself, too”. 

Trina smiled fondly at her son’s small frame from the other sofa, limbs sprawled across Whizzer’s chest, tucked safely under his arm. Marvin was right; he did look very cute. It would be a shame to wake the poor thing. 

As if reading her mind, Marvin spoke up. "You're welcome to stay for dinner if you want," he offered, and tried not to be completely offended by the sceptical look on both of their faces. He sighed. "We'll order in." 

Unsurprisingly they seemed to perk up at this and graciously agreed. The atmosphere in the room was always a little bit tense when Marvin and Trina were together, but they always tried to make an effort for their son. It wouldn’t do any harm to have a family night. 

“Oh Marvin, how on earth do you survive without being able to cook properly? Please tell me you don’t just live in takeout,” said Trina, exasperated. She couldn’t help but stress over her ex’s well being, especially after he and Whizzer had split up the first time. 

Marvin chuckled and shook his head. “No, it’s fine. Cordelia loves the fact that I’m useless, it means i can be her free disposal when she’s trying something new or has cooked far too much,” he explained, to which the others in the room almost seemed to sigh in relief. 

“I had just kind of assumed you’d have learned to cook by now,” Trina admitted, as if she were blaming herself for not taking care of him properly. Marvin shook his head again, a grin on his face and muttered something about being unable to teach an old dog new tricks as he stood up to go grab a menu from the kitchen. 

“Hey, speaking of Charlotte and Cordelia” Mendel piped up, calling through to Marvin in the kitchen. “Why don’t you invite them over tonight?” 

Trina nodded beside him. “It wouldn’t be family night without our favourite lesbians! It’ll be like old times,” she contributed, a smile on her face. 

Marvin re-entered the room with a pizza menu in hand, smiling at the conversation. Knowing that they counted not only he and Whizzer, but Charlotte and Cordelia as family warmed his heart - and he could tell from the affectionate look on Whizzer’s face he was thinking the same thing. 

“I think it’ll do Jace some good to have us all hanging out again,” Mendel reasoned, ever psychoanalysing. Though he did make a good point, and everyone in the room nodded around him. 

“Good idea, I’ll go give Charlotte a call,” Marvin said, then turned his attention to Whizzer who was idly playing with Jason’s hair. “Do you mind waking him up? He won’t be as grumpy with you.”

The younger man smiled and sat up a little before gently tapping Jason’s shoulder. “Come on, buddy. You gotta get up,” he murmured softly. The boy stirred and removed his arm from Whizzer’s waist to rub the sleep from his eyes. 

“Hey Whizzer,” he mumbled, sitting up. “You’re still here?” 

His tone wasn’t annoyed or suggesting anything, just genuinely curious, as if he were expecting Whizzer to have just up and left them again by now. “Of course, sweetheart,” Whizzer answered earnestly, keeping his voice low so the kid wouldn’t be overwhelmed. “And look, your mom and Mendel are here too. We’re gonna order pizza, how’s that sound?” 

His eyes lit up. “Oh hey mom,” he greeted. “Are you both really staying for dinner?” 

Trina seemed to melt at how much the simple notion of his parents getting along made her kid so excited, and she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for the way she and Marvin argued regularly. “Yes, sweetheart,” she smiled. 

A few minutes passed with comfortable, if only a little forced, conversation until the door burst open to reveal Cordelia bouncing with excitement. “It’s everyone's favourite lesbians from next door!” she squealed as she waltzed in, Charlotte in tow. “Hi everyone,” her girlfriend greeted curtly.

“Oh gosh, Marvin!” Cordelia exclaimed when she saw the man. “What on earth happened to your face?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing,” he gave a nervous laugh. “We ran into a little trouble this morning, but it’s nothing serious”. The last thing he wanted was a lecture from Charlotte over looking after himself, he got enough of that from Trina. 

“You should have come to see me, your lip could have been infected,” Charlotte scolded, but there was no anger behind the words. He knew it was the professional side of her meeting with the sympathetic side of her that cared about him. 

“It’s your day off,” Marvin argued. Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Besides it wasn’t that serious, Whizzer patched me up.” 

“And Whizzer isn’t a medical professional. You could have needed stitches,” she retorted. Cordelia shook her head fondly and lay a gentle hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “She’s only fussing because she cares!” the blonde assured, ending the faux argument. “Now! Let’s get some food and catch up!” 

It turned out that family night was a success and Marvin found himself wondering why they didn’t do it more often. Maybe it’s because he usually felt like a charity case and ‘family dinner’ was usually an excuse for the others to make sure he was looking after himself. Now though, Whizzer was beside him once more and it was in his own home - he realised he couldn’t be surrounded by better people. 

Whizzer was unusually quiet throughout dinner and Marvin noticed that he didn’t eat much. If any of the others noticed they said nothing. He figured it was probably because the younger man had had a long, emotionally exhausting day and tried to not worry too much. A few hours later, Trina and Mendel had left with Jason and Charlotte and Cordelia had resigned back to their own apartment, leaving only Marvin and Whizzer. 

“I should probably get out of your hair,” Whizzer announced looking towards the ground, a nervous smile on his face. “I know it’s probably not the romantic weekend you were hoping for but I uh, I had a good time.” 

“You can stay if you want to,” Marvin replied without thinking. Shit, was that too far? “I, uh, well we haven’t had much time to ourselves with Jason being here all weekend and -” he stopped speaking when he noticed the way Whizzer’s eyes widened. “No, no, that’s not what I meant. That’s really not what I meant but I don’t like the idea of you being on your own after today and-” he took a breath. “I could really use the company.” 

“Oh,” the brunette replied, bewildered. “Okay then.” 

“You don’t have to-” 

“No, i’d uh, I’d like that Marv.” 

Marvin smiled and took Whizzer’s hand in his. “You know that everything will be fine, right? I promise.” 

Whizzer nodded and kissed him softly on the cheek. “Thank you.” 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marvin and Whizzer make dinner, or they try to at least 
> 
> TW // anxiety, panic attacks, general references to abuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hi :) apologies for how long this has taken to get out, my laptop broke a little while back so this was written on my phone whenever i had a spare minute. hope u enjoy x

Whizzer did stay the night, and then the night after, and the night after that, until eventually, before they knew it, the days melted into weeks. Their routine was simple and domestic - just as if they were any normal family. 

In the morning, Marvin would wake up with an arm wrapped securely around his middle and Whizzer’s breath tickling the back of his neck. Most days, he found himself wanting nothing more than to stay right there and listen to the younger man’s gentle snores, to relish in the rise and fall of Whizzer’s chest against his back - a reminder that he was still there. A reminder that, for whatever reason, Whizzer wanted to try again - and a reminder that despite everything he’d been through, he trusted Marvin enough to share a bed with him. 

It had taken around a week for the two to decide that neither of them should have to sleep on the couch when the bed was big enough for the two of them. It was a little bit strange at first; Marvin hadn’t shared a bed with someone in years - he had hardly dated anyone long enough to get to that point after he and Whizzer split. 

Whizzer, also wasn’t sure whether he was ready to be that vulnerable around someone yet, but didn’t want Marvin to have to spend another night on the couch in his own apartment, so he agreed despite his nerves. However, the moment he rested his head on Marvin’s shoulder, their limbs tangled together under the sheets, he’d never felt safer. He never wanted to leave. 

Unfortunately, Marvin would have to peel himself away from Whizzer’s embrace every morning in the name of acting like a responsible adult. You know, one that had a job to go to. So, always careful not to wake the younger man, he would remove himself from the comfort of Whizzer’s arms and step into the shower. He’d then make coffee, maybe eat breakfast and head off to work - but not before pressing a gentle kiss onto Whizzer’s forehead. 

Whizzer would wake up an hour or so later, make breakfast, watch some TV for a while, and then spend the afternoon looking for jobs. It didn’t matter how many times Marvin insisted he didn’t mind Whizzer staying, that if anything he wanted him too, he still felt guilty. However, the issue with being a photographer is that there isn’t always consistent work. Eventually, he did find an agency that was hiring that wasn’t too far from the flat. The job was temporary and required working with schools a lot, gross, but it was better than nothing and it paid well - so he applied. 

Marvin would then return on an evening, and instead of expecting his dinner to be ready the moment he’d gotten through the door, they’d make dinner together. It was so sweet he could hardly handle it - even that time they listened to music and became so concerned with slow dancing like teenagers that they burned the pasta. 

What would have been a laughable event for most couples, was terrifying for Whizzer. Marvin noticed the fear flash across his eyes as he realised the food was beyond saving. 

“I-I’m sorry,” he stammered, staring at the ruined meal in disbelief. His hands were shaking. Tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry.” 

Instinctively, Marvin reached out to grab Whizzer to comfort him, but lowered his hands when Whizzer flinched away from his touch. He tried not to be offended; it was neither his nor Whizzer’s fault that his natural instinct was to shy away - to try and protect himself. But he couldn’t say it didn’t hurt when Whizzer stared at him, wide eyed and terrified that Marvin was going to try and hurt him. 

“Hey,” Marvin said as softly as he could. “It’s just me, kid. I’m not going to hurt you.” 

His words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Whizzer kept apologising over and over again, using the two words like an incoherent mantra. “I’m sorry,” he whimpered, tears streaming down his cheeks in earnest by now. He hovered over the oven, desperately trying to find a way to fix it. 

Marvin wanted to reach out and grab his hand. He wanted to pull the younger man close and cuddle him until he finally felt safe - he wanted to kiss away all of his bad experiences and tell him how loved he was. Yet he knew it would never be that simple, so he decided against touch for now.

“Whizzer,” he spoke, just as gently as before. “Sweetheart look at me.” 

Whizzer did, his glossy eyes wide and filled with fear as he made contact with Marvin. “It- it was an accident. I swear,” he choked, close to hyperventilating. 

“Baby, I’m not mad,” Marvin assured. It broke his heart to see Whizzer in this state. “I promise you, I’m not mad. It was an accident and I’m to blame too.”

There was a conflicted look in the younger man’s eye. “Y-you’re,” he wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “You’re not angry?” 

“Of course not,” 

Whizzer nodded, still unsure but not as worried as before. He wasn’t sure what to say next but he needed something to fill in the silence. Something to distract him from the pitiful look in Marvin’s eye. 

“Can I touch you?” Marvin asked tentatively, and despite nodding, Whizzer still seemed a little on edge. He was chewing anxiously on his bottom lip, avoiding eye contact. “It’s okay if you need more time,” Marvin added gently. When he gained no response other than a glance and a grateful look in the brunette’s eyes, he decided to take another approach. 

He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water, passing it immediately to Whizzer who accepted straight away. “Thank you,” he murmured. If anything, the drink gave him an excuse to make less awkward conversation. 

“How about I run you a bath and we can deal with dinner later?” Marvin suggested. When he and Whizzer were together a few years ago, the younger man would fund any excuse for a long, hot bubble bath - it always calmed him after a stressful day. In fact, when Whizzer moved back in, Marvin had planned ahead and stocked up on all the stupid salts and soaps that he never found a need for, but Whizzer did. 

“But what about dinner?” the brunette choked. “Don’t you want me to sort that first?” 

“No sweetheart,” Marvin soothed. “Cordelia is always dying to pass her leftovers onto me, I’ll give her a call and see what we can do.” 

Too tired to argue, and certainly too tired to make another round of dinner, Whizzer nodded despite wanting to insist that he’d fix everything. Marvin really didn’t seem to mind about dinner, but there was still a part of his brain that wouldn’t let him relax. 

“Okay,” 

Marvin nodded and headed towards the bathroom, collecting a number of lavender salts and some bubble bath from the cabinet. He made sure the bath was comfortably warm, but not too hot and added the mixtures, turning the water a faint purple colour. 

It took a little while for the water to fill, so whilst it was running Marvin grabbed a fluffy towel and hung it over a radiator, keeping to warm for when Whizzer used it. He then retrieved the younger man’s favourite pyjamas and did the same thing. 

He called Whizzer, letting him know it was ready, and stayed by his side as he stepped into the bath. “God Marvie, you’re too good to me,” he groaned as his body was enveloped by the hot water. The frustrated wrinkles that had earlier appeared on his forehead as the result of the foiled food slowly disappeared, and his expression was replaced by one that was much softer, much more relaxed. 

He looked beautiful, Marvin thought. Any sign of worry had slowly turned into that of pleasure, and the older man couldn’t help but marvel at how blissfully chilled out Whizzer looked. His closed eyes were a sign of vulnerability that Marvin hadn’t expected to see from his boyfriend for a long while, but was there nonetheless. It felt good to know that despite everything, they had these small moments in which things seemed more normal. 

“I’m going to go call Cordelia, don’t fall asleep,” He announced after a few minutes of simply sitting by the tub, watching his lover. Whizzer opened his eyes for a moment, nodding with a small smile on his face.

As soon as he was out of sight and ear shot, Marvin released a breath, tension that he hadn't even chance to acknowledge leaving his shoulders for the most part. He knew things wouldn’t be easy; anyone who had been through what Whizzer has would inevitably have some scars afterwards. Of course, Marvin would stay by his side through everything, and if this is the way things had to be for him to have Whizzer in his life then that’s fine too.   
It was different to how things had been before, and he wasn’t sure what was better. Back when they were unhealthy and would argue over anything, Whizzer would bite back. The argument, usually over something frivolous, would escalate to petty insults, sexual tension, and then eventually an aggressive fuck wherever the hell they were. 

Not that he would ever want to go back to that, but at least back then Whizzer was confident in himself. He would bite back harder, yell louder, stoop lower - whatever it took to win an argument. He’d rile Marvin up on purpose, just to revel in the satisfaction of getting under his skin. 

Now, however, he broke down in fear at the very thought of Marvin being angry at him, and while Marvin tried never to take it to heart, he felt like he was walking on eggshells around the younger man. And yeah, he’d admit it, it hurt to see the anxiety that Whizzer felt directed at him, as if he ever would hurt whizzer. Of course, Marvin would never blame him for any of this, and in a way, he’s glad they reconciled for reasons that for once, weren’t selfish. 

He vowed to protect Whizzer, and go as slow as the younger man needed. He loved him, after all, he’d do anything to make him happy. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whizzer seeks help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! thank you once again for the incredibly lovely responses I have received to this story! I appreciate it so much and I am so happy you're enjoying :) 
> 
> as in most chapters, TW // for themes of abuse. stay safe, sign petitions and wear your masks! love u all x

Slowly, but surely, the couple made progress. After careful consideration, Whizzer had agreed to go to therapy - to talk to someone other than Mendel - to try and deal with his emotions in a much healthier way. Marvin had apprehensively suggested it one Tuesday night while they were curled up in bed, paying no attention to whatever was on the TV. the two of them were more than happy to simply exist in one another's presence; Whizzer’s head on Marvin's chest and Marvin’s hand in his hair, gently running his fingers through the brunet's locks. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Whizzer, or worse, make him paranoid that he was too much to deal with, but the truth was that Marvin was way out of his depth. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t help Whizzer with love and willpower alone. 

Though he was sceptical of the idea, Whizzer figured it was worth a shot if there was any chance of it making things easier for their relationship. Having Marvin back in his life was something so incredible and he wasn’t ready to lose that again. So, even though the idea of being trapped in a room with a stranger talking about things he never wanted to see the light of day again filled him with an intense sense of dread, he’d do it if it meant salvaging his connection with Marvin. 

His therapist was a kind, middle-aged woman with soft eyes and a sweet smile that didn’t border pitying or condescending like any other professional he’d come across throughout his life. Her voice wasn’t shrill or judgemental, and if anything she reminded him of his mother. She assured him that even taking the first step of reaching out to a professional was progress and that they could take it entirely at his pace. It calmed his nerves slightly, but he couldn’t help but still feel slightly anxious nonetheless. 

She started easy, asked him about Marvin and Jason, and it seemed that talking about the pair had settled him slightly. It made sense, he supposed, that the two most important people in his life would bring him comfort. He told her about reuniting with Marvin at the baseball game and dating him again not long after. Eventually, that led him on to explain what had happened with Warren at the diner, and the guilt he still associated with that. He talked about the nicer things, like falling asleep on the sofa with Marvin or tucking Jason into bed, but also the not so nice things, like the panic attack he’d experienced over burnt food. 

“Is it possible, Whizzer, that these negative emotions you are feeling are the result of feeling out of control?” she calmly reasoned, giving him a few seconds after to process what she had just said. 

“I guess that makes sense,” he responded, wringing his hands together in his lap. Any event that had left him feeling helpless, anything that he couldn’t fix had sent his anxiety spiralling. She made a good point. 

“The diner, for example. Was that your fault?” 

He nodded almost immediately. “Of course it was,” Whizzer tried not to snap. “If I wasn’t there then Warren wouldn’t have even known who Marvin and Jason were.” 

It was clear he still felt guilty - but how could he not? Marvin had been attacked in front of his son, and that wouldn’t have ever happened if Whizzer either wasn’t there or if he’d done a better job at standing up for himself. Jason’s wide and terrified eyes were an image that would be permanently burned into his mind for as long as he lived. 

“Did you do anything to provoke the confrontation?” 

“Of course not, I’d never put Jason in danger like that,” he replied, equally as quick as before. It was true - he adored Jason; there’s no way he would ever want to put the kid in a position like that.   
“Do you think Marvin thinks it’s your fault?” She cautiously pressed. 

“He said he doesn’t blame me,” Whizzer said. “He was good about it, better than I deserved.” 

There was an edge to his voice, a sort of choking sensation that would crawl up his throat as he spoke. He simply put it down to nerves. “Sometimes I feel like it would be so much easier for everyone if I wasn’t here,” Whizzer admitted slowly. “I wouldn’t have ruined Trina’s life. I wouldn’t have split up Jason’s family. Marvin wouldn’t have to walk on eggshells around me in case I freak out over the smallest of things.” 

Dr Collins nodded thoughtfully, making a few notes here and there before turning her full attention to Whizzer once more. “Did you not mention that Trina remarried?” she pressed. Whizzer nodded, supplying Mendel’s name. 

“The way I see it, Whizzer,” she began. “Is that Marvin is gay, and he would be regardless of whether or not you are in his life, yes?” 

He nodded, his brows creased ever so slightly. 

“You have no control over the decisions that Marvin made before he met you, and from the sounds of it, both parties are much happier now?” 

“I guess that's true,” he replied, barely making eye contact. 

“Tell me more about Jason,” 

Whizzer went on to tell her in detail about his step son’s endearing habits. The way he would fall asleep during a movie and curl up against Whizzer’s chest, his tiny limbs gripping onto him like a lifeline. He told her about how sharp he was, how undoubtedly intelligent the kid could be, but how good-natured and innocent he was at the same time. 

The session ended not long after that, and Whizzer couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had yet to be made to go into detail about Warren. Of course, he knew that’s what the point of therapy was, but he was grateful for the time to prepare all the same. Marvin had offered to take the day off so that he could pick Whizzer up after his session, just in case he needed a little support, but Whizzer insisted he would be fine. 

He was a grown man, he didn’t need his sort-of boyfriend to mother him, he’d manage perfectly fine. Because while he really, truly appreciated Marvin fussing over him and checking he was fine constantly, he didn’t want to be treated like a porcelain doll. He was not going to shatter at the slighted thing, even if he sometimes felt like he would. 

Marvin, unconvinced but not wishing to control Whizzer’s decisions, nodded sceptically and agreed to go to work as normal. It was 4pm by the time Whizzer had left the building and called a cab home. Marvin usually didn’t arrive home until at least 7pm, so he decided to go shopping and make an early start on dinner. He figured that without the added pressure of another human hovering over him as he cooked, absolutely nothing could go wrong. By the time he arrived back to the apartment, it was only 4.45pm, way too early to begin cooking (it would only be cold by the time Marvin came home), so he called Cordelia to find if she was free - to which she cheerfully said yes and was over in minutes.

Whizzer made them some tea and began to catch up with his friend, who he hadn’t seen in about a week. “I, uh, went to my first therapy session today,” he began, taking a sip of the warm drink to soothe the way his throat went dry as he uttered the words. 

Cordelia sent him a smile, like that of a proud mother’s, as gently asked: “how did it go?” 

Whizzer shrugged. “It was fine, we didn’t cover too much. She made some pretty good points though.” he casually explained. The truth is, therapy wasn’t so bad, but he was nervous that statement would change as soon as they ventured onto heavier stuff. 

“How are things going with Marvin?” she asked with genuine curiosity. She didn’t know the full extent of Whizzer’s situation, she figured he would tell her in his own time, but she couldn’t help but worry about her friend jumping into another relationship so quickly. Of course, she knew Marvin was a changed man. She had seen it with her own eyes - the way he had gotten genuine help and made more of an effort to be a better person, and she was so proud of him for doing as well as he had. But it was no secret that his previous relationship Whizzer was not the healthiest. 

“Oh, Delia. He’s great,” Whizzer swooned, like a hopeless teenage girl talking about her boy band crush. His cheeks turned pink at the realisation of how he sounded, but he didn’t care too much. “He’s so sweet, we’re doing a lot better than we did back then.” 

Cordelia nodded, smiling, seemingly satisfied with his answer. The pair continued to chat and catch up, drinking their tea and giggling like teenagers. It was nice, Whizzer realised at that moment, to not only have Marvin back in his life but the rest of his tight-knit family as the result of that. Things seemed to be slowly, but surely, improving for him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whizzer picks an ill Jason up from school

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! hope you enjoy this chapter! stay safe I love u all <3

One of the main problems that Whizzer had encountered as the result of being a freelance photographer, apart from the general lack of work at the moment, was that he often had a lot of time to himself. While that may seem like a great thing, the brunette soon realised that he hated being alone. Sometimes he could call Cordelia and they would hang out - they’d drink tea and watch television and she’d sometimes bring some food over for him to taste test - if they were bored enough they’d try baking too - but Whizzer had already called her over once that week and he didn’t want to be a nuisance. So that meant being alone, and being alone usually meant creating scenarios in his head and coming up with questions that would send him into a panic. 

The most common were usually along the lines of, what if Marvin grows tired of dealing with the younger man’s issues - after all, he was unaware of how much Whizzer had changed when he had asked him on a date. What if he regretted it but thought it was too late to end things? What if he simply felt sorry for Whizzer, too worried to break up with him because of his unpredictability? Then worse, what if Jason didn’t really want him back in his life. What if he held a grudge about the diner? Whizzer adored the kid with his entire heart and soul, but what if he was just another one of Marvin’s boyfriends to him? 

The one thing, the silver lining, that eased his thoughts ever so slightly was how brutally honest Jason was, and while usually Marvin or Trina would scold him for being rude, Whizzer was truly thankful for it. He logically did not have to worry about impressing the kid, because if Jason was unimpressed he would say so. On bad days, however, like today, not even that could soothe his fears. His therapist had told him that if he ever experienced these thoughts it was better to acknowledge them than to try and push them down, only for them to arise at a later date. She told him to consider the likely hood of them actually being correct, whether there was any evidence to support the idea or whether it was just in his head. When he did this, however, the conclusion he came up with was never a positive one. 

She also suggested talking to the individuals involved in his worries, tell them what was on his mind and discuss it - but Whizzer was yet to feel courageous enough to admit to Marvin that he was terrified of him leaving. That, and how the hell could he have a conversation like that with a twelve-year-old? There was absolutely no way Whizzer was going to unload his problems onto his child - he knew from his own childhood how damaging that was. 

Today though, unlike most days, he was not given hours on end to wallow in his own self-pity - not like how he had expected. Whilst he was in the midst of watching some dumb reality show, desperate to distract himself, his phone had started to buzz from its place on the coffee table. He admittedly considered ignoring it, preferring to be miserable all by himself, but it had occurred to him that no one usually called him unless it was important. Marvin called on his breaks, to chat and ask how his day was going - to make sure he had eaten and all that other domestic couple stuff, but apart from that, he didn’t really talk to anyone. He was more than surprised to see Trina’s name appear on his lock screen - he only had her number in case of emergencies. 

“Hey,” he answered quickly, hoping he didn’t sound too breathless. “Is everything okay?” 

Trina sighed in what Whizzer could assume was relief on the other end. “Oh Whizzer, thank god,” she said, somewhat flustered. “I’m so sorry to bother you but can you do me a favour?” 

He wasn’t expecting that for sure, but agreed - she must be truly desperate if she had come to him for help - they didn’t fight anymore and he was fairly sure she didn’t hate him, but they weren’t quite on best friend level. 

“Thank you,” she breathed. “Jason is sick and I can’t get off work. Mendel is dealing with a client that he can’t cancel on and I think Marvin’s phone is turned off.” 

Although he was pretty much a last resort, Whizzer felt warm inside to know that Trina trusted him enough to look after Jason for a few hours. “Of course,” he assured. “It’s no problem at all - does his school know I’m picking him up?”. He could not imagine a strange man turning up out of the blue and requesting to take home a student would go down fantastically, but Trina promised him that she would call the receptionist back and let them know that Jason would be collected by his step-father. If questioned, Whizzer would deny the way the title made him melt. 

Within 10 minutes Whizzer had arrived at Jason school and had entered the building, introducing himself as Jason’s step-dad and explaining that he was there to collect him. The receptionist eyed him carefully, most likely noting his less than heterosexual outfit, before nodding and requesting his details. After a process that seemed to take far too long, Jason was finally called from the seating area to the main entrance where Whizzer stood. 

“Hey buddy,” he greeted cheerfully, frowning when he caught onto Jason’s appearance. The poor kid looked like he hadn’t slept in a week, his eyes red and his skin much whiter than usual. Whizzer instinctively pressed a hand against the younger boy’s forehead, testing his temperature. Jason smiled weakly and seemed to almost lean into Whizzer’s cool touch. “You're not feeling so good, huh?” 

Jason shook his head, pulling the sleeves of his hoodie over his hands. “You cold?” Whizzer prompted gently, shaking off his leather jacket when the kid nodded, laying it gently over his shoulders. It swapped him, but Jason didn’t seem to mind - in fact, he closed his eyes, content, and pulled the material tighter around his shoulders, mumbling “thanks, Whizzer,” as he did. 

“No problem, sweetheart,” Whizzer responded, placing a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Let’s get you home.” 

  
The drive back didn’t take too long despite Whizzer's pitstop to Starbucks to get Jason an iced coffee when he complained of a sore throat. Maybe a normal dad wouldn’t advocate caffeine when his child was ill, but Jason had Marvin to be the boring father and Mendel to be the overbearing worry-wart - leaving the cool dad vacancy open to Whizzer. Besides, the warm way in which Jason smiled at him while receiving his drink made any lecture he was going to get off Marvin for pumping his kid full of coffee worth it. 

As soon as they had gotten into the apartment, Whizzer retreated into the kitchen to pour a glass of water whilst Jason, under Whizzer’s instructions, headed straight upstairs and put on a pair of pyjamas. The older man also grabbed a comfier pillow than the ones that presented themselves on the sofa - mainly for decoration - and a blanket ready for when the boy appeared back downstairs. 

“Can I get you anything?” Whizzer asked. Jason shook his head as he crawled onto the couch, laying his head on the pillow that Whizzer had helpfully supplied. The kid hummed with content as the older man carefully placed the soft blanket over his body. “You don’t want any painkillers or anything? It’ll take your temperature down.” 

Whizzer knelt down beside the sofa, pressing a cool hand against Jason’s head once more like a worried mother, frowning at how warm he was. After a moment of consideration, Jason nodded. In less than two minutes Whizzer had returned to the living room once more with the glass of water he had poured earlier, a packet of medicine and a towel that he had soaked and rung out with cold water. “Here, kid,” he said softly as he pressed the cold compress against Jason’s forehead - causing him to preen and all but moan at the feeling. Whizzer chuckled with unwavering adoration, an amused smile on his lips, every doubt from earlier slowly melting away as he watched the kid lean into his touch with nothing but trust and gratitude. 

Although there was plenty of room left on the sofa, (Jason was increasingly growing - but not that much), Whizzer opted to sit on the floor beside the boy’s head, running his fingers carefully through his brown curls. At that moment he bore an incredible resemblance to Marvin - the way he blinked owlishly up at Whizzer with a dozy smile on his face as Whizzer gently played with his hair. 

Family was never something that Whizzer had associated with himself. He grew up in a home where a domestic was far more likely than a hug - but maybe that was just because he was a very clearly gay child in a religious household. Maybe his siblings had it differently - he didn’t stick around long enough to find out. 

A monogamous relationship seemed foreign enough to him once upon a time - let alone kids. Yet this, a gorgeous, witty, outrageously intelligent twelve-year-old offering his utmost trust was all that Whizzer needed to realise that he wouldn’t rather be anywhere but right there. “Night, dad,” Jason mumbled, his eyes fluttering shut, as he eventually fell asleep. 

Despite the way Jason’s breathing evened out, soft snores leaving his nose indicating that he was asleep, Whizzer stayed on the floor right next to him - just in case he woke up and needed anything. Sure, he could have gotten up for less than a few minutes and grabbed the remote from the other end of the room, resuming his crappy reality show, but he was more than content sitting by Jason’s side in silence. This time around, however, the silence of the room did not lead to negative thoughts threatening to overtake his logic, it simply gave him time to reflect on just how much he loved this boy. 

Whizzer wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he heard the front door open and Marvin entered the apartment. He craned his neck to take a look at his lover, whose face was contorted with the stress of a long day. It did, however, soften entirely when his eyes landed on his son and his boyfriend, the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile. 

“Hey baby,” Marvin greeted, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it up before making his way over to where Whizzer was occupied. He was expecting Marvin to tease him playfully about sitting on the floor when they had another sofa, and was surprised when the older man simply took a seat beside him, leaning his head on Whizzer’s shoulder. The younger smiled, lacing their fingers together and planting a delicate kiss into Marvin’s hair. “Long day?” he asked gently. 

Marvin groaned. “The longest,” he responded, an edge to his voice before it softened considerably. “But it’s okay now, I’m with my two favourite boys.” 

His voice was sleepy and was followed by a yawn as he cuddled into Whizzer’s side, closing his eyes despite still being in his work clothes. Whizzer chuckled with both amusement and affection. “You’re such a sap when you’re sleepy,” he teased. Marvin nodded, denying nothing. “You love it,” he retorted. 

He did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ps - if you like the book of Mormon feel free to check out a fic that im working on as well as this one! https://archiveofourown.org/works/25144369/chapters/60924688


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whizzer begins to recieve unwanted phone calls 
> 
> WARNINGS !!! - This chapter is heavier than usual. I know I usually handle these situations by coating them in lots of love and fluff and positivity, but this chapter is pretty much angst with little comfort. please be warned that there are hints to abuse, stalking, manipulation and dubious consent in this chapter. There is also more swearing than usual in this chapter, but most of this is in italics!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW // Violence and DubCon
> 
> just in case you did not read the summary - which is fine - i want to warn once more that there are hints of dubious consent and sexual assault in this chapter. if you want to avoid reading this, please skip from "The time he left bruises around Whizzer’s wrists:" to "Whizzer shook himself out of his trance". its all in italics so easily avoidable! stay safe!

Whizzer had decided that spending his time moping about was not going to get him anywhere, and so he decided to make photography his side job and apply to work at a local bar. Marvin seemed concerned at first about his job choice, but the last thing he wanted to do was make the younger man feel trapped. Being entirely dependent on another person was not going to help his recovery process at all; so Marvin smiled and agreed. 

Most of Whizzer’s shifts were during the day, where families would go in and order food while having the occasional drink - so the place really wasn’t that bad. Of course there were a few times that Whizzer would be called in to cover a late shift, and if Marvin just so happened to be awake at 2am to pick his lover up from work and make sure he was safe, well that was nobody’s business but his own.

Whizzer knew that Marvin never stayed awake past 11pm, even on weekends, but he appreciated the effort and said nothing. The night shifts were a little bit rougher and it had taken Whizzer a little bit of time to get used to the noise. It was strange, rowdy bars used to be his scene - he’d have loved this job a few years back - but beggars couldn’t be choosers he supposed. 

All in all, things were looking up. He and Marvin would spend the nights that Whizzer wasn’t working curled up on the sofa watching some movie, lazily sipping either expensive wine or a bottle of beer (depending on how close to payday they were at the time). Whizzer decided that those were his favourite moments of the day; Marvin’s hand in his hair, gently running his fingers along the younger man’s scalp as they stared mindlessly at the TV. They would clean up and head straight to bed afterwards, lazily making out for a while before finally curling against each other once more (Marvin was the little spoon, as much as he would deny that if confronted), and falling asleep.

On weekends, Jason would continue to visit, which was the ultimate highlight of Whizzer’s week. He _loved_ falling asleep in the living room with Marvin, but with Jason squashed in between them, his thin limbs wrapped around one of them, they were like a real family. They kept up the routine of going out for breakfast on Sundays, but of course decided on a new diner. 

But perhaps Whizzer was naive to think that his problems would just go away if he hoped hard enough. Afterall, there had been plenty of occasions throughout his life where his past had come back to torture him; it was overzelous to think this time would be any different. Yet he supposed he had to be at least a little bit grateful - a whole month and a half of radio silence from Warren was a miracle in itself, despite how short lived it was. 

At first it was the occasional text message, something innocently along the lines of _“can we talk?”,_ of which Whizzer had immediately blocked and thought nothing else of it. It was nothing worth burdening Marvin with; he had dealt with it after all. 

A week or so had passed and he had almost forgotten about the message. He’d moved out of his apartment and Warren didn’t know Marvin’s address - so there really wasn’t anything to worry about. He considered bringing it up to Cordelia in one of their weekly catch up sessions, but decided against it when he realised that would just cause concern where there needn't be any. He did bring it up with his therapist, but happened to ignore the advice she gave on the subject. 

Only a few days afterwards, whilst he was alone in the apartment, he had received a phone call and had answered it without thinking - it could have been someone from work or Jason’s school. Maybe Trina had switched numbers, he couldn't just ignore it, although he wished he had.

“Whizzer!” a voice called through the device. It was like time had stilled. His knees went weak and his fingers shook as they cradled the phone, but it seemed that he was frozen entirely and couldn’t move said phone from his ear. “I’m glad you picked up, baby. Let’s talk?” 

An involuntary whimper left his throat, but he said nothing else. Whizzer had played this scenario through in his head time and time again: what he would do if he was confronted by Warren once again. In his mind he stood his ground, told the older man that he had no control of him anymore - that he’s moved on and he’s happy. Yet now, given the opportunity to say all that, he couldn’t even force himself to hang up the call entirely. 

“Honey, I know I was a dick, but I did that because I love you, remember?” 

Whizzer did remember. He remembered that being the excuse time and time again. 

**The time Warren broke his wrist:** ****

_“I’m so sorry sweetheart,” Warren said, his voice turning gentle. “I just love you so much. My friends would judge us, so when you told them we were together I panicked. I don’t want to have to lose you.”_

_Whizzer smiled and nodded like a lost puppy, despite the ache in his wrist._

**The time he had given Whizzer a black eye right before he had a job interview:**

_“y-you prick!” Whizzer exclaimed, hovering his fingers over his most recent injury. “I have a fucking interview tomorrow!”_

_He suddenly had no breathing space. “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?”_

_“S-sorry,” Whizzer whimpered, sheltering his face. Warren’s features softened as he gently removed the younger man’s arm from covering his face. He ran a gentle finger over whizzer’s bruise._

_“I’m sorry too, sweetheart,” he cooed. Whizzer embarrassingly leant into his gentle touch. “But I know you only want me for my money, and if you’re making your own then you won’t need me anymore.”_

_“That’s not true!” Whizzer desperately defended._

_“Good.” Warren deadpanned. “Because I love you too much to lose you.”_

**The time he left bruises around Whizzer’s wrists:**

_“Ow! Warren cut it out, you’re hurting me.”_

_He didn’t stop_

_“Please,” Whizzer begged, trying to remove his arms from his boyfriend’s grip. Sex wasn’t even pleasurable anymore, not for him anyway. Warren would do as he pleased, and if Whizzer got off too? Well, that was a bonus, but not a necessity._

_It wasn’t until he finished that Warren released his grip and took a good look at Whizzer’s wrists, littered with dark and ugly bruises. Don’t get him wrong, Whizzer liked it rough from time to time, but he liked the comfort of knowing his partner would stop if asked. Marvin always did._

_“I’m sorry, baby,” Warren soothed, gently running his fingers along the marks like they were art; something to be proud of. “I just can’t help myself, you’re so sexy”. He growled the last word in Whizzer’s ear, it made him feel sick. “At least now you can show everyone who you belong to, right? I love you,”_

Whizzer shook himself out of his trance. “Leave me alone,” he choked, sounding far less intimidating than he had hoped for. 

“Don’t be like that baby,” Warren patronized. Whizzer could picture the manipulative pout without even needing to see it. He finally found the strength to hang up and block the number. 

If Marvin noticed that Whizzer was a little more flighty than usual that evening, he didn’t bring it up. He did, however, make a conscious effort to slow his movements if he were to touch Whizzer, and kept his voice much softer. He wouldn’t push, he understood that some nights were simply harder than others, but he gently promised that if Whizzer wanted to talk, he would listen. Although it was painstakingly obvious that Marvin was deliberately changing his behaviour to suit Whizzer at the time, the younger man couldn't say he did not appreciate the effort. 

The phone call was a little bit harder to ignore than the text message, and he wondered how many more times Warren would change his number to simply try and get back in touch with him. His therapist recommended going to the police, Whizzer insisted there was no need and he had it under control. Besides, the police hardly took stalking cases seriously at the best of times, they wouldn’t look twice at a gay man’s complaint. 

However, Whizzer eventually managed to go about his day to day life. Wake up, work, cuddle Marvin, sleep, repeat. It was a routine he managed to slip into quite comfortably, and the free time he had was usually spent with either Jason or Cordelia. 

He had it handled. 

Really. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally much longer, but after I had realised that I had included a lot of heavy stuff in both chapters it was better to split them up - so chapter 12 will be up in the next day or so. it's fluffier, but not by much. please be careful, but I hope you enjoy regardless!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> an unwanted guest pays Whizzer a visit at work 
> 
> TW // general themes of abuse and anxiety again in this chapter. some swearing, usual jazz. be safe :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! next chapter will be Whizzvin centric! lmk your thoughts!

It was a Friday night and he had a late shift, and since Jason was over Marvin wouldn’t be able to pick Whizzer up from work, (it was unfair to expect the kid to stay up well past midnight, even if he’d probably insist he could if given the option). That was fine, of course. The bar wasn’t even that far to walk, and if he felt that worried he’d simply get a cab. He’d probably do that anyway, to put Marvin’s mind at ease more than his own. 

The night had gone pretty smoothly. Stephanie, another barmaid had spent the night telling him all about her new girlfriend and how wonderful she was. She was a sweet girl, with blue hair and an eyebrow bar, and the brightest smile Whizzer had ever seen. She was barely out of high school, but her father knew the owners and had landed her a job. In her defence, she was great at it, pretty and flirtatious enough to convince old pervs to tip, but fiery enough to tell them in no uncertain terms to fuck off if they got handsy. 

After only a week or so he knew her life story better than his own as the result of her tendency to overshare, but he didn’t mind. He loved that he had someone to gush over Marvin and Jason with who didn’t know the two already. She’d gush with as much enthusiasm, despite never meeting them in her life. 

It was only half past 10 and the bar had started to get louder and louder, but there seemed to be no malicious activity - just young people having a night out and the occasional drink thrown over a man who didn’t know the meaning of the word no. Whizzer wasn’t sure what the protocol was to deal with that, but he was certainly willing to turn a blind eye if it was the young girls likely to get into trouble for scaring off ‘valued customers’. 

Then for the second time that week, time stopped. The glass he was holding in his hand suddenly shattered into tiny pieces on the floor, turning the whole pub silent. “Shit,” he hissed, quickly bending down to collect the broken pieces in a frenzy. The way his eyes blurred with tears did nothing to help him stay calm, and the way he sliced his thumb open on a shard of glass was the figurative cherry on the cake. 

“You always were a bit of a clutz, darling,” a sickly sweet voice teased from the other side of the bar. It took everything in him to stifle a sob. He was tired - so damn tired and he just wanted to move on with his life. The phone calls were shitty, but he could hang up and block the number, he could delete the text messages, but how could he just delete someone in real life? Now the bastard knew where he worked, there was no escaping. 

“You need to leave,” Whizzer spat with as much confidence as he could muster, wrapping his bleeding thumb in his work shirt. 

“Free country, I’ll have a beer sweetheart.” he retorted. “And a chat, when you’re off work?” 

Whizzer shook his head stubbornly. “Not happening.” 

He turned away to begin dealing with the glass again before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinctively he flinched and moved an arm across his face to defend himself, until he heard a very gentle, “Whiz?” 

He relaxed considerably realising that it wasn’t his ex and that he was no longer alone with him (the other customers would do squat if they saw a bar worker being harassed), but continued his frantic cleaning. “Hey, Whizzer honey stop,” Stephanie cooed, kneeling down next to him and gently grabbing his hands. “Oh, hon, you’ve hurt yourself. Let’s go out back okay?” 

Whizzer couldn’t do anything besides nod and be led away by the teenager. She sat him down on one of the seats outback, where he couldn’t hold it together any longer. Helpless sobs racked his entire body, his limbs shaking as he tried his best to hide away. Stephanie had left for a moment before returning with a first aid kit, carefully prying Whizzer’s hands away from his face. 

“It’s just me,” she soothed, kneeling in front of him. “Whatever happened back there isn’t going to happen in here, okay?”

“Sorry,” he all but whimpered as she carefully began to bandage his thumb. Her touch was so gentle, so considerate that she could have easily been a nurse. “How do you know first aid so well?” Whizzer asked, desperate to fill the silence. A sad look crossed her features, but she shrugged and quickly replaced it with a smile. 

“There we go, all better,” she soothed and pressed a delicate kiss to Whizzer’s hand. He huffed a laugh and thanked her, wiping his eyes. “What happened?” she pressed, her voice concerned. 

“My ex, happened.” 

A knowing look crossed her face. “That guy at the bar?” 

Whizzer nodded, and Stephanie stormed off before he even had a chance to ask where she was going. Barely two minutes later she returned with a smug look on her face. When he raised a questioning eyebrow she simply shrugged and responded casually: “let’s just say he got his beer.”   
Whizzer chuckled despite the situation, knowing that was code for “I chucked a drink in his face.”

“I cleaned up the glass too, you know we have dustpans, right? What the heck were you thinking picking it up with your bare hands?” 

Whizzer shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face. “I panicked?” 

He made an involuntary ‘oof’ noise as his arms were suddenly filled with an edgy teenage girl, who did not know the meaning of personal space. Her intentions were pure, and her tiny form compared to Whizzer’s made it easy for him to envelope her in a tight hug as she clambered awkwardly into his lap, which even made him chuckle. He tended to panic much less with Steph, her touch felt so much different to Warren’s rough grip, but he still figured it was good the owners knew he they were both gay, otherwise this would look extremely questionable. 

“You two okay?” an amused voice called from the doorway. Michelle, a middle-aged woman with long red hair who owned the bar with her husband, John. Their son Connor would sometimes work a shift or two also, but tonight was his night off. 

Stephanie climbed out of Whizzer’s lap and sent a cheeky grin towards Michelle, who was stubborn but had a soft spot for her staff. She mothered each and every one of them, even Whizzer who was definitely too old to actually be her son. 

“I may have accidentally thrown a drink at someone,” Stephanie explained, her voice entirely innocent and darn right adorable. “He was harassing Whiz!” she added before she was lectured. 

Michelle took a moment to take in Whizzer’s appearance, and upon seeing his injured thumb, his red glossy eyes and his tousled hair nodded and thanked Stephanie for sticking up for her colleagues. “Go home early, chicken.” she said to Whizzer. “I’ll get John to give you a ride. Steph, you okay watching the bar for a little?” 

Despite Stephanie nodding and promising to keep everything in order, Michelle seemed to change her mind and promised to go grab Connor. “There’s no need! I’ve got this!” Stephanie swore, but Michelle shook her head. “I know you’d do a great job sweetie, but I know my regulars well and I am not leaving you alone with them.” 

John did take Whizzer home, despite his protests of "I'll call a cab, it's fine!". The couple simply shook their heads and said they'd never forgive themselves if something were to happen to Whizzer on the way. "You work for us, kiddo," John said. "It's our job to make sure you're safe while you're here - that includes the way home." 

Whizzer figured he was lucky to have such sweet bosses. Bosses who treated him more like a son than they did an employee and were far more like parents to him in the few weeks he had worked there than his real parents ever were. He thanked John once more when they arrived at the apartment, promising to make up his hours and apologising for the inconvenience. John simply waved his hand dismissively and told Whizzer to take care of himself, assuring him that his pay wouldn't be affected and that Warren would not be allowed to return to the bar. 

It was only around twelvish when Whizzer had entered the apartment, but he was nonetheless surprised to see Marvin still awake. Well - awake was a term used loosely, it would be more accurate to say that he was dozing off on the couch, forcing himself to stay conscious with a mug of coffee next to him. Whizzer couldn’t help but smile at how hard Marvin tried to greet him when he came home from work. On most nights Whizzer would scold him and tell him that he really ought to just go to bed when he needed to, that he didn’t mind in the slightest, but tonight he was quite thankful that he would be able to speak to Marvin properly. 

His lover’s head perked up when he heard the front door open and shut. "You're home early," Marvin observed with concern, clambering off the sofa and approaching Whizzer. His eyes began to scan him for any signs of distress, and Whizzer couldn't help but melt at his boyfriend's concerned expression. The events of the night swam around his head as he collapsed against Marvin, pulling the shorter man against his chest. His boyfriend hugged back just as tightly, reaching up to play with the hair at the nape of Whizzer's neck. "What happened, baby?" 

"Warren," Whizzer managed to whimper. Marvin only gripped him tighter. 

"Did he do anything?" he asked, pulling back to exam Whizzer once more, his brows furrowed with concentration. He checked over Whizzer eyes to check for any bruising or signs of other injuries but found nothing except the redness that circled his orbs. His lip seemed to be sore, but Marvin figured that was more likely because of Whizzer’s habit of biting it when he became anxious. 

He felt Whizzer shake his head against his shoulder. “Wound me up, but he didn’t touch me.” 

Although he was angry that Warren had dared to even speak to Whizzer, Marvin couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief that he had not physically injured him. “He knows where I work now,” Whizzer mumbled, his voice all of a sudden drained of expression. “I thought it was over.”

Marvin pulled Whizzer back into an embrace, the two of them still standing by the doorway to the apartment - Whizzer in his uniform and Marvin in his pyjamas. “We’ll figure something out, sweetheart,” Marvin promised, although he was not yet sure what the best approach was to handle this situation. The police wouldn’t do shit - he knew that much already - but it’s not like he could take matters into his own hands. The last time he’d tried he’d ended up traumatising his son. “We’ll find a way. We always do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also thoughts on Stephanie?? do we like her?


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys enjoy this instalment! let me know your thoughts!

On Saturday morning, Whizzer had received a text message from Michelle insisting that he take the weekend off, adding that his shifts were already covered and he had nothing to worry about. As much as he wanted to argue that he didn’t need it, he knew Michelle was stubborn and would not change her mind about her decision. In a way he was grateful - he had barely slept a wink last night and his head was pounding. Maybe a weekend with Marvin and Jason was exactly what he needed. 

Which led him to his current situation, lazing in bed with Marvin’s loving arms curled around his middle, Whizzer’s back pressed flat against his lover's body. He could feel the gentle rise and fall of Marvin’s chest as he breathed, his soft, warm breath tickling the back of Whizzer’s neck. He realised then, that there was no place he would rather be than right where he was - safe and loved - with Marvin. 

A delicate kiss on the back of his neck confirmed that his lover was awake, and Whizzer couldn’t help but break out into a soft smile at the gesture. He was able to turn over, knowing now that he wouldn’t disturb Marvin if he did, and his lover moved his arms gently to accommodate Whizzer’s movement. “Morning, baby,” the older murmured, his voice still lousy with sleep as he pressed a gentle kiss into Whizzer’s forehead. “How are you feeling?” 

Whizzer groaned, nuzzling his face into the crook of Marvin’s neck. “My head is killing me,” he whined, earning him gentle fingers grazing his scalp, playing with the strands of his chestnut hair. “I didn't even drink last night. I think it’s just the stress of it all.” 

Marvin made a sound of understanding as he continued to run his hand through his lover’s hair. “Do you wanna talk about it?” he asked gently. 

Whizzer considered it for a moment; he and Marvin never really spoke about Whizzer’s past or his issues, they just dealt with them together as they came. He only talked about the things that he had no choice but to explain - even telling his therapist these things was difficult, but what harm could it do? He and Marvin were a couple now, it was important that they communicate. He took a breath. 

“I’m scared,” he quietly admitted. If it weren't for the fact that he and Marvin were practically nose to nose, the other man may not have even heard. Swallowing, he tried to clear the lump in his suddenly very dry throat. He looked away from Marvin’s kind eyes. “I’ve been getting text messages.” 

Marvin’s hand stilled and suddenly Whizzer couldn’t breathe. He felt his lover’s warm hand gently cup his jaw, and when he finally made eye contact with Marvin again he noticed that they were blown wide with concern. “How long has this been going on for?” he asked, an edge to his otherwise gentle voice. 

“A week or so,” Whizzer softly admitted, ducking his head. He couldn’t help but fear that Marvin would be pissed with him. 

Marvin nodded, a muscle twitching in his jaw as he carefully considered what to say next. “How come you didn’t tell me?” he asked, his voice laced with a mixture between hurt and worried. 

Whizzer sighed, feeling stupid all of a sudden. “I thought I had it under control,” he explained. “I deleted them and blocked the number each time. I figured they were harmless since he doesn't know where we live but-”. Whizzer shuddered. “Now he knows where I work.” 

“Jesus, Whizzer,” Marvin said, exasperated, and Whizzer had never felt smaller in his life. Tears began to slowly build up in the corners of his eyes as he felt Marvin’s hand leave his face in favour of pinching the bridge of his own nose in frustration. “You deleted the messages? We could have gone to the fucking police but now we have nothing.” 

Despite the way his stomach coiled in on itself when Marvin raised his voice, Whizzer scoffed. “The police wouldn’t do jack shit and you know that,” he snapped, turning his face away from Marvin's and laying on his back. He stared aimlessly at the ceiling as he waited for his lover’s response. When Marvin said nothing, he continued. “I fucked up, alright? I know - and I’m sorry.” 

His lover’s touch was gentle as he carefully moved his hand to Whizzer’s chest, but the younger flinched nonetheless. Marvin withdrew quickly. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry,” Marvin sighed. “I’m just scared too, but it isn’t your fault.”

When Marvin’s tone softened, Whizzer felt safe enough to turn back onto his side and face him. His lover smiled, his calloused hand returning to its place on Whizzer’s jaw slowly, giving the younger time to move away if he needed to. “You know, we make enough money. You don’t have to work there.” 

Whizzer stilled, his face contorting into that of a glare. “Excuse me?” he all but spat. How could Marvin be so careless to even suggest such a thing? 

Marvin sighed, clearly a little on the frustrated side once more. “I know you like to feel like you’re contributing, but if it’s going to put you in danger then I’d rather you just stay at home. I think you should quit.” 

“No.” 

His lover scoffed. “Whizzer you’re being ridiculous. It’s just a shitty bar job, my wage covers the bills just fine.” 

Like a petulant child, Whizzer turned away from Marvin, turning over completely this time and not just towards the ceiling. This way Marvin couldn’t see the tears that burned in his eyes. “You’re a prick,” he said, venom lacing his voice. 

“What the hell have I done wrong?”  
Whizzer rolled his eyes, climbing out of bed and throwing on a robe. “Nothing,” he said, not even craning his neck to look at his boyfriend. “I’m making breakfast.” 

Marvin lay there, bewildered, unsure of where he had actually gone wrong. Had Whizzer really just stormed off like a child? He thought they were way passed that. With a sigh of annoyance, Marvin crawled out of bed too, throwing on a pair of pyjama shorts before following his lover into the kitchen. 

He tapped on the table lightly to announce his presence, and if Whizzer heard him then he made no acknowledgement - opting to stare blankly at the coffee machine instead. “Can we talk?” Marvin asked, his tone gentle. Whatever had happened, he wanted to fix it. He couldn’t do that if they ignored each other all day. 

“I’m not quitting,” were the only words that left his lover’s lips as he continued to avoid looking at Marvin. His voice was choked, as if he was trying not to cry. 

Marvin drew back a chair and softly asked Whizzer to come sit with him. The younger man sighed, giving in, and took a seat adjacent to Marvin after he had finished preparing two mugs of coffee. “Whiz, you working there puts you in danger - why would you risk that for a shitty bar job?” 

Whizzer rolled his eyes, sipping his coffee before glaring at his lover. “You don’t have to look down on everything I do.” 

Marvin’s face softened considerably. The last thing he wanted to do was make Whizzer feel like he was looking down on him, that wasn’t what he was trying to do at all. He chewed on his lip as he thought carefully about what to say. He really didn’t want to escalate the situation more than he already had. 

“That’s not what I’m trying to do. I just don’t understand.” 

Whizzer sighed, drumming his fingers against the dining room table. “This job is all I have-”. He raised a hand to shut Marvin up as soon as he began to protest. “It’s the only thing I have that’s solely mine,” he reiterated. He looked up to see if Marvin was listening, and upon spotting the curious look on his lover’s face, he continued. 

“I actually have friends there,” he said softly, looking down and twitching his fingers. 

Marvin shook his head. “You have friends here,” he insisted. “Charlotte and Cordelia live right next door, a-and there’s Trina and Mendel too and-” 

“They’re your friends, Marvie.” 

Marvin stilled. “W-what?” he said, shocked and confused. “No, Whizzer baby they love you. They’re your friends too.”

Whizzer shook his head. “I know, and I love them. But I know them through you. Everything I had was through you, when we broke up I had nothing.” 

Oh. 

It all suddenly clicked into place, and Marvin felt a tremendous wave of guilt wash over him. Of course Whizzer freaked out when he suggested that he quit his job - he probably thought it was some sort of power trip that Marvin was trying to get over him. The more he thought about it, the more he realised Whizzer was right. 

Though Marvin considered the apartment as being as much Whizzer’s as it was his, it was technically in Marvin’s name - as it had been when they were in a relationship before. It was Whizzer who had to find somewhere else to stay when they broke up. 

Though Marvin loved spending his wage on Whizzer, it wouldn’t be the same for him as having a steady income of his own go through. Marvin expected him to be some sort of house wife, to stay at home all day while he made the money. He was bound to think Marvin was trying to force him into that role again. 

And although his friends considered Whizzer as part of the family, and as much as Jason absolutely adored the hell out of him, it was Whizzer who had lost them. 

“I can’t do it again,” Whizzer whimpered, and Marvin suddenly felt like the worst person in the world. No amount of assurance that they wouldn’t break up this time could fix this, because the truth is neither of them knew that for sure. While that was important to Whizzer it’s not what he needed to hear right now. He needed the security of knowing that if they did break up, he wouldn’t be left with nothing again. 

“You’re right, I’m sorry sweetheart,” Marvin said with sincerity. “You shouldn’t have to quit your job, and I was dumb for even suggesting it. We’ll figure something else out.” 

Whizzer smiled, thankful that his lover understood. “You fancy letting Jason sleep in and going back to bed?” 

Marvin smiled, pressing a gentle kiss onto Whizzer’s lips. “How else would we spend a Saturday?” 

So, they spent the rest of the morning in the way they had started it, curled up in one another’s arms. Whizzer lay his head on Marvin’s chest as the older man gently played with the strands of his hair, the two of them perfectly content in one another’s presence. “I’m so proud of you,” Marvin said in a low voice out of the blue. “For talking to me about what was bothering you.” 

Whizzer scoffed, pressing a kiss into the crook of Marvin’s neck. “I actually like a child, Marvie. I practically had a strop.”  
“You were upset,” Marvin reasoned gently, cupping his jaw. “And you’re allowed to be. We don't have to be perfect.” 

Whizzer hummed in agreement before closing his eyes, the coffee in his system having little effect as he dozed off back to sleep in Marvin’s arms, proud of how much progress the two of them had made. They didn’t get back up until Jason demanded breakfast hours later.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they have a guest over for dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is kinda meh ?? im sorry,,, i'm struggling a lot rn which is also why it took so long to get out. BUT after lots of consideration, i have finally decided on to direction this story is going in. *insert manic christian borle laugh here* 
> 
> hope u enjoy!

As usual, the weekend went by quickly, but Whizzer admittedly did feel much better after having those few days off to spend with Marvin and Jason. He and Marvin spoke no more about Whizzer’s job, save for making the compromise that Marvin would pick him up if he worked late over the weekend. It didn’t matter how many times Whizzer insisted that it wasn’t fair to keep Jason awake because Marvin would simply roll his eyes and say:  _ “you know damn well that kid stays up until three on his Nintendo thingy anyway”, _ and Whizzer couldn’t particularly argue with that one. 

Besides, after casually mentioning to Michelle that he and his family were Jewish, she insisted that he start taking the weekends off anyway for Shabbat, whether they follow the rules down to the letter or not. He was grateful if anything that he’d have more time to spend with Jason and did not complain. 

Monday morning fell into his lap quicker than he had hoped for, but for once he didn’t cringe at the noise of Marvin’s 6am alarm. He heard Marvin groan next to him as he carefully pulled himself out of their entangled limbs, conscious of disturbing Whizzer, of whom he assumed was still sleeping, next to him. The brunette had to bite his lip in order to resist the grin forming on his face as he heard Marvin curse and mumble his way through the room, trying but failing to be discreet. 

When Whizzer heard the shower start from the bathroom a few moments later, he finally decided to get up, throwing on a robe and heading downstairs to make coffee and breakfast. 

It was only around ten minutes later that Marvin had retreated into the kitchen, fully dressed for work. Whizzer pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before handing him a mug of coffee. “Morning handsome,” he greeted, a playful smile on his lips. 

Marvin rolled his eyes; he never was one to accept compliments without feeling flustered and he felt less than handsome in his tired state, but Whizzer noticed the way his lips curved into a smile from behind his coffee cup. Marvin groaned dramatically with pleasure after taking a sip of the hot drink. “Thanks, baby,” he said, his voice still thick with sleep. “What time do you get off work today?” 

“Seven,” Whizzer answered before taking a sip of his own drink. Tea, of course, not coffee. He had no idea how the hell Marvin drank that stuff. “Can we order in tonight?” He really did not have the energy to stand for hours in the kitchen and cook a meal after 7pm, but he wanted to check. While he knew Marvin no longer expected him to conform to the house-wife role, the ideologies and the habits were still ingrained into him. 

Marvin shrugged. “Sure,” he said. “Or I could make dinner?” 

Whizzer all too dramatically choked at Marvin’s suggestion and spat his tea everywhere as he snorted. He covered his mouth to hide his grin as he noticed the unimpressed look on Marvin’s face. “Sorry,” Whizzer said, suppressing a giggle. “Marv, you’ll burn the place down.” 

Marvin glared, offended. “I can cook,” he insisted. 

Whizzer pouted in a patronizing manner, running his fingers through Marvin’s hair. “Baby,” he cooed as if he were talking to a petulant child. “Heating up Delia’s leftovers doesn’t count.” 

When Marvin’s face didn’t change Whizzer worried that he had gone too far with his teasing. He was about to apologise profusely before he noticed the older man’s lips twitch into a small smirk. “Fine,” he agreed. “I’ll call Delia over and get her to help me.” 

Whizzer smiled and pressed another delicate kiss to his lover’s lips. The taste of coffee lingered on his own. Gross. “Sure thing, hon,” he said. “Now hurry, you’ll be late for work.” 

Once Marvin had left, Whizzer spent some time getting ready - taking a long bath and lounging in his robe until around an hour before he was due to start work. His work uniform wasn’t...horrible per say, and the tight pants were admittedly flattering enough to earn him a few extra tips, but the colours were so  _ boring.  _ Simple black and white was a stark contrast to his usually colourful, pastel wardrobe. Still, he’d make do. 

As usual he was on shift with Stephanie, which was usually enough to make the hours of their shift go by quicker, except she seemed... _ off _ today. Of course, she was never anything but polite, both to Whizzer and the customers, but she was far from her usual bubbly self. She had barely said a word since they had started. 

When Whizzer had finally caught her outback, away from nosy customers, he lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Is everything okay, Steph?” 

The girl looked up at him with wide eyes, and Whizzer could tell from the faint remains of mascara on her eyes that she had been crying. Her lip, red and swollen from where he could only assume she had been biting it, trembled. Before Whizzer could ask again, Stephanie practically threw herself into his arms. 

Confused, Whizzer wrapped a gentle arm around the middle of her back, using the other hand to cradle the back on her head as she whimpered against his chest. “Shh, you’re okay,” he soothed, moving his hand in gentle circles, hoping the motion was calming. It struck Whizzer hard seeing her so vulnerable; despite her age, she had always been so mature, and seeing her crumble like this reminded Whizzer that at the end of the day, she was still a teenager. “What happened?” 

After a few moments, she finally tore herself away from Whizzer’s embrace, sniffling and wiping at her eyes furiously. “My dad’s sick,” she finally said, her voice shaky. 

Whizzer’s heart ached for her; he knew she and her father were close. After only knowing her for the few weeks he had worked at the bar, he knew that her mother had left after the divorce when she was young, and ever since it had been just Stephanie and her dad. The girl would speak of him endlessly, recounting memories from when she was younger up until recently. 

“Don’t tell Michelle,” she warned quickly. “She’ll only send me home but I need the money. He’s really sick.” 

“Oh honey,” was all Whizzer could think to say. He brought her back into his arms as she broke off into a broken sob.

“I’m sorry for putting this on you,” she said in a small voice.

Whizzer quickly shook his head. “It’s alright kid, you don’t have to apologise.” 

An concerning thought crossed his mind all of a sudden. “Are you staying by yourself?” he asked, afraid of the answer. He knew she had no siblings, and if her dad was in hospital then there was a good chance she'd been spending a lot of time alone. 

He felt her nod against his chest. “I don’t really notice unless I finish work late. I spend a lot of time at the hospital with him, so.” 

Oh, that just wouldn’t do. He wasn’t an expert on hospital times but he knew she probably wouldn’t have much of a chance to see him tonight. “Why don’t you come over for dinner?” he suggested, praying that he wasn’t overstepping the mark. “My boyfriend is insisting on cooking but if it tastes that bad we can just order in.” 

Stephanie looked up at him, a small smile on her lips despite the tears in her eyes. “Oh Whiz, I wouldn’t want to intrude,” she replied weakly. 

“Nonsense, it’s just me and Marv most nights unless his son is over. We’d be thankful for the company,” he insisted. “Besides, I don’t want you to be alone right now. Please?” 

She wiped her eyes and smiled. “Okay then,” she agreed. “Thank you.” 

The hours went by fairly smoothly after that, despite his constant worrying about Stephanie. She was hardly even an adult yet and Whizzer hated that she already had so much to deal with. She didn’t deserve it. 

He called Marvin on his break to ask if he (or more so, Cordelia) could make extra tonight as he was bringing a guest back. While his boyfriend was trying to stay completely collected at the suggestion, Whizzer picked up on the sense of pride in his voice. 

It didn’t feel like that long until their shift had finished, and after saying their goodbyes to John and Michelle they walked back to Whizzer and Marvin’s apartment. They made small talk, but it didn’t quite feel the same without Stephanie’s eccentric personality popping out. She had brightened up a little since the early afternoon, but Whizzer couldn’t blame her for being quieter than usual. 

When they reached the apartment, Whizzer was first of all surprised by how good the apartment smelled. As much as he loved Marvin, he had no faith whatsoever in his cooking abilities and had fully expected to have to order takeout, but it seemed he had done a good job. 

“Babe, I’m home,” Whizzer called, to which a rather flustered looking Marvin appeared in the doorway of the living room. 

“You’re early,” he said, bewildered. His cheeks were rosy, his hair dishevelled. 

“No, I’m not. I finished at seven, remember?” 

Marvin looked at the clock. “Shit,” he cursed, suddenly taking note of Stephanie who was standing beside Whizzer. He sent a sheepish wave. “Sorry, bad habit. It’s nice to meet you.” 

Stephanie smiled and waved a hand dismissively. “It’s nice to meet you too, thanks for having me over.”

After Marvin had made his pleasantries, he headed back into the kitchen to finish whatever it was that Whizzer and Stephanie had interrupted. 

Whizzer was admittedly surprised that Cordelia wasn’t with him; maybe he should have a little more faith in Marvin’s abilities. “Something smells good,” he commented, taking off his shoes and hanging up his jacket. 

He heard Marvin chuckle from the kitchen. “You don’t need to sound so suspicious Whiz,” he said lightheartedly. “It’s just matzo ball soup, Delia helped me.” 

_ Ah, that made sense.  _

“Is she still here?” Whizzer wondered aloud. Cordelia would usually stay up until the very moment she was forced to leave, usually by Charlotte or whatever she had in the oven next door, but Whizzer didn’t mind at all. He’d rather someone want to stay than feel obliged to. 

“Nah, she went home about an hour ago, Char got off work early so they’re making the most of her night off.” 

Whizzer made a sound of acknowledgement before leading Stephanie over to the table, answering any questions that she had about the house. 

A picture on the wall caught her attention, one that had been taken over two years ago when he and Marvin had been in a relationship the first time. While his current relationship with the older man had changed drastically since they reconciled, his connection to Jason had not. He had always adored that kid, from the moment his big brown eyes stared up at him and offered him a game of chess. 

The picture was of two of them, Jason in front of Whizzer, the older man’s hands planted on his slim shoulders. The curly-haired boy was sporting a wide, toothy grin - an unusual occurrence for the boy at the time. 

“Is that your son?” Stephanie asked with curiosity, eyeing the picture carefully. 

Whizzer found himself smiling, mirroring his expression in said picture. “Yeah,” he answered with nothing but pride. Maybe they weren’t biologically related, but, as proven, they had a rare, unbreakable bond. 

“You should stop by sometime on a weekend, Stephanie,” he heard Marvin suggest from the doorway. “He stays at his mother’s throughout the week, if you’re any good at either chess or video games you’ll get on perfectly fine.” 

Stephanie grinned sheepishly. “I like Mario Kart?” she said, giggling slightly. “I don’t know the rules of chess.” 

“He has Mario Kart on his-” Marvin waved his hands around to try and gesture the device. “Wii thingy.” 

Whizzer chuckled and pressed a kiss into the side of Marvin’s head. “His switch, dear,” he teased playfully, to which Marvin grumbled and shoved the taller man gently. 

“Whatever,” he said, his lips curving into a small smile. “Dinner’s ready.” 

They ate in quiet, save for small talk about their days, avoiding at all costs Stephanie’s father unless she had decided to bring him up herself - which she seldom did. On the bright side, the distraction of a new home and a new person to get to know seemed to have drawn out the more bubbly side of her personality. 

As the hours passed and they had finished eating , they offered Stephanie a place to stay for the night. She had thanked them profusely, but ultimately decided it was best that she went home as she had some belongings of her father’s to drop off at the hospital before work the next day. Whizzer was a little worried, but they compromised and called her a cab. 

“She seems like a nice girl,” Marvin commented whilst clearing away the dishes. “I think she’d get along well with Jace.” 

Whizzer smiled. “Thank you for having her over tonight, babe,” he said, wrapping his arms around Marvin’s middle from behind the shorter man. He pressed a gentle kiss into the back of his neck. “And for making dinner. I love you” 

Marvin grinned, turning around and meeting Whizzer’s lips chastely. “Delia did most of it,” he admitted, his cheeks rosy. “But I love you too.”

They decided to leave the dishes until the morning, the two of them being too tired to complete the simple task, in favour of curling up on the sofa and watching a movie. 

They’d wake up at 3am with cricks in their necks, but they were both too comfy to care. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everybody's yelling about the Bar Mitzvah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two chapters?? in the space of 48 hours??? 
> 
> I'm making up for disappearing for two weeks :)

When Jason arrived that Friday, he was uncharacteristically followed inside by Trina and Mendel - the three of them the epitome of chaos. 

Jason hadn’t even bothered knocking on his father’s door before entering, and Whizzer would have probably shit himself if it wasn’t for the distressed groan that was undeniably his step-son’s. 

“Hey buddy, you okay?” he checked as he entered the room, a dishcloth in his hand from when he had been drying the dishes. He noticed a disgruntled Jason slouched on the sofa, an unimpressed look on his face - he looked uncannily like his father at that moment, but Whizzer felt it was better to keep that comment to himself. 

Before Jason had the opportunity to respond, he noticed Trina standing in the doorway, her soft features contorted with stress, and when he caught Mendel’s tired eyes he figured there must have been some sort of argument between the three of them on the way. 

“Hi Whizzer, is Marvin home?” Trina asked politely with a forced smile. He didn’t miss Mendel’s exasperated sigh. “I wanted to talk to him about Jason’s Bar Mitzvah.” 

The brunette had to suppress a chuckle when he heard Jason whine from the sofa - the poor kid was probably tired of hearing about it. By the looks of things so was Mendel. “Yeah Marv’s home, he’s just getting changed,” Whizzer told her “He had to stay back late at work tonight.” 

He invited the couple in, Mendel accepting a seat on the sofa next to Jason whilst Trina opted to stand, playing with the hem of her blouse anxiously while she awaited her ex-husband’s arrival. Only a few minutes later, Marvin retreated from their bedroom into the sitting room, out of his work clothes and into much comfier ones. 

“Oh, hey,” he greeted, skeptical, as he carefully eyed the others. Whizzer realised it looked like somewhat of an intervention. “Is everything okay?” 

Jason rolled his eyes as Trina brought up the Bar Mitzvah once more, and what had started out as a calm conversation about catering soon escalated into petty insults about one another’s taste as Mendel slowly seemed to be losing his will to live. 

Whizzer felt it was best he stayed quiet as his boyfriend argued back and forth with his ex, but he could see Jason becoming more and more frustrated by the second. He understood - Jason was never one for enjoying loud noises, and Marvin and Trina’s yelling was becoming increasingly louder. 

“Just shut up!” 

The room fell silent and suddenly all eyes were on Jason. 

“I don’t want a Bar Mitzvah! Okay?” the kid finally snapped. With a huff he got up from the sofa, storming off into the kitchen. 

Marvin paused, frowning. “The hell do you mean, you don’t want a Bar Mitzvah?” he called after his son. The kid didn’t look back once. 

“Jason, get back here this instant,” Trina demanded. Her request fell on deaf ears. 

Mendel sighed. “Let me talk to him,” he requested, removing himself from the sofa to follow his step-son into the kitchen. Neither Marvin or Trina argued against the idea, most likely expecting the psychiatrist to try to convince the kid to listen to his parents. In hindsight, they maybe shouldn't have been so optimistic. 

Despite the silence of the room, the three remaining adults desperate to hear what was being said in the room over, Whizzer only caught bits and pieces of the conversation. The segments that he did catch on to included Mendel telling Jason that it was okay to hate his parents, and that he understands they can be overbearing, but that they love him and he’ll realise that someday. 

Whizzer thought that it was pretty sound advice, but the scowls on the faces of the parents’ in question suggested he was alone in that idea. Marvin scoffed and followed his son through into the kitchen. “Jason Schultz,” he said, putting on his ‘dad voice’. “You are going to kill your mother with this behaviour.”

Jason sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands, Mendel adjacent to him. 

Trina huffed, sending Marvin a glare before her features softened considerably. “Jason, darling,” she cooed, laying a gentle hand on his back. “You don’t have to be nervous, I know you’ll do the right thing eventually.” 

Whizzer had to stifle a chuckle as he heard Mendel mutter “Oh my God,” under his breath. 

The conversation dragged on, the same old points being made, Marvin and Trina becoming increasingly frustrated with each other and Jason seeming to lose the will to live. Whizzer vowed to keep out of the argument, deciding it wasn’t his place to get involved - that is until he noticed Jason cover over his ears, his limbs very subtly trembling as his parents continued to yell at one another. 

“Guys, cut it out,” Whizzer attempted to interrupt, but either wasn’t heard over the noise or simply wasn’t acknowledged by the squabbling adults. They continued to bicker until Jason finally seemed to snap, his chair scraping harshly along the tiled floor as he stormed off, presumably to his room. 

Before Marvin and Trina could follow, Whizzer sheepishly raised a hand. “He doesn’t like the noise. You're gonna follow him and start arguing again,” he pointed out, 

Marvin’s face suddenly softened, a wave of guilt washing over him. “I’m sorry,” he said earnestly. “I didn’t think about the noise.” 

Trina nodded beside him, a similar look on her face. “Can you go talk to him?” she suggested quietly. “He, uh, opens up with you.” 

Whizzer’s heart swelled. Smiling, he nodded. “Of course,” he said, and left to go find Jason. He knocked gently on the kid’s door, adding a quiet “it’s just me, buddy,” after a few seconds. After being granted permission, Whizzer opened the door. Jason was, unsurprisingly, lying down on his twin bed and staring at the ceiling above him. 

“You counting?” the older man asked, a knowing smile on his face. Jason continued to concentrate on the popcorn ceiling, nodding. “How many have you counted?” 

“146,” Jason answered, finally peeling his eyes away and looking towards Whizzer warily. “Am I in trouble?” 

Whizzer frowned. “Of course not, sweetheart,” he assured, moving across the room to take a seat at the end of the kid’s bed. “I just came to check on you.” 

Jason nodded, sitting up but remaining quiet for a few seconds before finally speaking up. “I don’t like noise,” he admitted quietly. 

He sounded ashamed to admit it, like it was something silly and Whizzer’s heart tore for the kid. “Neither do I,” he responded. 

Jason perked up. “Really?” Whizzer nodded. “Is it because of your ex?” the kid blurted without thinking, his eyes growing wide when he realised what he had asked. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly. 

Whizzer sent him a small smile, reaching out to lay a gentle hand on the boy’s ankle. “It’s fine, buddy,” he promised, squeezing gently. “You’re allowed to ask questions, you know. I’d never be angry or upset.” 

Of course, there would be some things that Whizzer would prefer Jason’s innocent little mind to not know, but he also knew the kid wasn’t stupid. He had an open, curious mind, and was mature for his young age. He’d never be annoyed at the boy for having questions. 

Jason nodded, pursing his lips. “I feel like it’s my fault they always argue,” he said quietly, looking down at his hands as he wrung them together anxiously. 

“I hate to break it to you kid but I think I win that round,” Whizzer replied playfully, and despite the dismal topic Jason’s mouth twitched into a smile. 

“I know that,” he agreed. “No offence.” 

The older man chuckled, moving his body so that he could comfortably wrap an arm around the boy’s slim shoulders. “But seriously, why do you think that?” 

“It’s my Bar Mitzvah they’re mad at each other about,” he said like it was obvious. “They haven’t argued in forever and now they are. Because of me.” 

Whizzer held onto the kid tighter. “I know I love your dad, but he’s kind of an idiot,” he said, grinning. Jason huffed a laugh. “But he loves you and has good intentions, I know for a fact your mom does too.” 

Jason nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Thanks, Whizzer.” 

They stayed like that, Jason under Whizzer’s loving arm, for a few minutes of comfortable silence until Jason lifted his head. “I think I’m ready to go back out now.” 

Whizzer nodded and removed his arm from the kid's shoulders, allowing him to stand up and exit the room. When the two of them returned to the living room, Trina and Mendel were sitting on the sofa, Marvin on the adjacent chair. It looked like even more of an intervention now than it did when they first arrived. 

Trina was the first to speak. “Jason, sweetheart,” she said gently. “We’re sorry. It isn’t fair of us to argue around you like that.” 

Marvin nodded in agreement. “We promise we aren’t going to take over your Bar Mitzvah,” he added. “And if you don’t want one that’s fine too.” 

Jason offered a tiny smile. “Thank you,” he said with sincerity. “I, uh,” he pulled at the sleeves of his sweater. “I do want a Bar Mitzvah. I’m sorry for storming off.” 

Trina opened her arms, and despite the kid’s usual tendency for avoiding large amounts of physical contact, he ran towards her and accepted the embrace. Whizzer watched the pair with a smile, catching eyes with Marvin who mouthed ‘thank you’ in his direction.

“We’ll get out of your hair,” Trina said after a few moments, standing up from the sofa and being followed by her husband. “I’ll see you Monday, sweetheart. Be good.” 

After Mendel and Trina had taken their leave, Marvin clapped his hands together to get the boys’ attention. “Pizza and movie night?” 

Whizzer and Jason shared a knowing glance. “Duh,” they simultaneously agreed, giggling fondly at the coincidence. 

“I don’t know why I even asked,” Marvin muttered before retreating into the kitchen to grab a menu, returning shortly and ordering the food. 

It was Whizzer’s turn to choose the movie, and he decided on Tootsie of all things, so they each took their assigned positions on the floor in front of the TV, eating their pizza whilst watching the film. Jason seemed entirely lost, but Whizzer stared at the screen in awe. 

When it finally finished, the three of them were considerably tired enough to head straight to bed afterwards. “Night buddy,” Marvin yelled, clearing away the pizza boxes and the plates as Jason headed to his room. He and Whizzer went straight to their room not long afterwards. 

After a considerably stressful day, Marvin was thankful as his head hit the soft pillows. He closed his eyes, sighing with content as he felt Whizzer’s head nuzzle into his shoulder, their body pressed together like a jigsaw. Utterly at peace, Marvin ran gentle fingers down Whizzer’s side, marvelling at the soft flesh of his waist as he pressed a gentle kiss into the younger man’s hairline. 

His fingers slowly travelled upwards, and Marvin paused. 

Were Whizzer’s ribs always that easy to feel? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just to clarify I've never seen tootsie


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whizzer is sick with what they believe to be the flu, Marvin takes care of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the ending of the last chapter caused a lil *panic* so I'd like to just confirm a few things. this is a modern au and i pinky swear it will have a happy ending :) 
> 
> i don't want to erase Whizzer's HIV storyline because it is such an important part of LGBT history - but this fic is my baby and i have attachment issues, therefore i will not be killing anyone! i have the ending to this fic planned out and i promise its really sweet and fluffy (but we're not quite there yet)

When Marvin awoke the next morning, earlier than Whizzer as per usual, the very first thing he noticed was that his lover’s skin was clammy and hot to the touch. Sighing, he climbed out of bed with as much grace as he could muster and threw on a pair of pyjama bottoms before making his way to the kitchen. After raking through the medicine cabinet he finally came across what he was looking for: a packet of tylenol and some ibuprofen.

On the brightside, it was Saturday, which meant that he could spend the day taking care of Whizzer instead of having to go to work. His lover seldom fell sick, but on the rare occasions that he did, he was an utter nightmare. The younger man would fluctuate regularly between insisting that he was fine and getting annoyed at Marvin for fussing, and whining for attention only minutes later. 

Marvin poured a glass of water, making sure to run the tap for a few extra seconds so that the liquid was cool, before returning to their bedroom and placing it on the bedside table. “Whizzer, hun,” he said softly, nudging his partner’s shoulder. 

Whizzer groaned and rolled over in his sleep, whining suddenly as he seemed to notice his symptoms too. “Marvie,” the brunette whimpered, bringing a hand to his forehead to confirm his own thoughts. “I have a headache, can you get me some-” 

Marvin cut him off with a chuckle, taking a seat beside him on the bed and running a soothing hand over his lover’s hip from over the covers. “Tylenol?” he asked, only slightly smug. “Or ibuprofen? I brought both.” 

He had to force the smile off his lips as Whizzer made an effort to sit up, groaning as he did. “You’re the best,” the younger replied earnestly. 

Marvin’s heart sunk as he examined his lover’s face in more detail; his cheeks had considerably less colour in them than they previously had done, his ashen skin noticeably clammy and his dishevelled hair stuck to his sweat encroached forehead. Whizzer’s eyes were sunken, his brown orbs dull as he stared at Marvin owlishly, a pout on his face. 

“I don’t feel well,” he whined in a raspy voice, crossing his arms over his chest and shivering. 

Marvin sent him a sympathetic smile. “You don’t look well either kid.” He sat up from their bed to grab Whizzer a shirt from the closet, chuckling lightly when he heard Whizzer’s small noise of protest. Remembering that his boyfriend became much clingier when he was ill, Marvin eventually decided to pull out one of his own hoodies before handing it over to the younger man. 

Whizzer accepted the item of clothing, closing his eyes and bringing it to his chest with a hazy, content smile. While he was the very picture of adorable, Marvin couldn’t help but frown; his lover must really feel out of it if he was yet to make a sarcastic comment about Marvin’s fashion taste. 

“You’re supposed to _wear_ the hoodie, baby” the older man chided lightly, grabbing the hoodie from Whizzer’s hands. The brunette was compliant as Marvin told him to lift his arms so that he could wrestle the material over his shoulders. 

Marvin paused for a second after helping Whizzer into the grey hoodie, furrowing his brows and pursing his lips. “Have you been eating properly?” he asked, aiming for casual but his tone bordered more as accusing. 

Whizzer looked up at him and tilted his head like a confused puppy. “Of course,” he replied. “Why?” 

“Last night when I was holding you felt...thinner, I guess.” 

Whizzer shrugged. “It’s probably just the flu,” he said.

Marvin made a sound of acknowledgement before taking a seat next to the younger man on the next. “We’ll see Charlotte if you aren’t feeling better by tomorrow, okay?” 

Whizzer hummed in response, resting his head on Marvin’s shoulder. The brunette practically purred as Marvin twisted his body slightly so that he could run gentle fingers through the strands of his clammy, sweat stricken hair. 

“That feel good?” Marvin teased, amused by his lover’s behaviour. He felt Whizzer nod against his hand, leaning into his touch with a content sigh. “Take your medicine.” 

Whizzer whined but did as he was told, realising after the water hit his scratchy throat how thirsty he was. “I hope I didn’t pass anything on to Stephanie,” he said, his voice somewhat less raspy now that he had taken a drink but still sleepy nonetheless. “That’s the last thing she needs.” 

Marvin sighed, continuing the soothing motion with his hands. His lover was always thinking of other people first.“I’m sure she’s fine, but we’ll call her later and check on her, yeah?” he responded. “Focus on yourself for now.” 

Whizzer was too tired to disagree. 

  
  


As the hours passed Whizzer dipped in and out of consciousness, taking slow sips of water when instructed to and lazily watching TV when he felt too gross to fall asleep. When he eventually realised the bedroom was far too hot for him to get any rest at all, he had retreated to the sofa with a blanket around his shoulders. 

“Can I get you anything?” Marvin asked gently. “Food? Some tea?” 

Whizzer shook his head. “M’ fine, Marv,” he insisted, whimpering at his pounding headache. “Actually...do we have any soup leftover?” 

Marvin smiled. “We do. Do you want it now?” 

The brunette nodded, a grateful smile on his lips as his boyfriend went through the kitchen to reheat the food. Before he could settle back into the comfortable sofa, he heard little footsteps approach. “Woah, Whizzer,” a voice, which his fuzzy brain identified as Jason, said. “You look awful.” 

Despite the dire way he felt, Whizzer chucked. “Hello to you too kid,” he replied. “How’d you sleep?” 

The kid looked down at the floor, his expression guilty, and Whizzer knew immediately he had been awake playing video games. He chuckled heartily. “I guess I did you a favour by getting sick, now your dad _probably_ won’t force us to go outside.” 

“Hey!” Marvin called from the kitchen in mock offense. “I’d never make you go out when you’re sick, you know that.” 

Whizzer smiled. “Sure thing.” 

“Hey Whizzer, do you wanna play some chess?” 

Marvin overheard the conversation from the kitchen, and knowing that his lover never had the heart to say no to the kid, decided to intervene. “Jace, buddy, just let Whizzer rest for today,” he said. “He’ll play chess with you tomorrow if he’s feeling better.” 

Jason seemed to accept the answer, apologising before settling on choosing out a movie for the three of them to watch together. 

Whizzer only managed to eat half of his soup before feeling nauseous, but it was better than nothing. Marvin went to grab Whizzer’s dish to discard it into the kitchen, and the brunette preened as he pressed a gentle kiss into his forehead. The older man, on the other hand, frowned with concern. “You’re still really hot,” he commented idly, checking his temperature with the back of his hand. 

Whizzer smirked. “Thanks, handsome.” 

Marvin rolled his eyes, yet couldn’t help but mirror his lover’s smirk as Jason made fake gagging noises. “I’m serious, do you think we should get Charlotte?” 

The brunette whined. “No, I’m fine. She’s probably at work anyway,” he argued. 

Unconvinced but unwilling to disagree, Marvin nodded and took his dish through to the kitchen. Before returning into the sitting room, he soaked a cloth with cool water, wringing it out into the sink before pressing it carefully to Whizzer’s forehead. “Here, hon, it’ll cool you down.” 

Whizzer all but moaned at the feeling, grateful that if anything, the cold compress lessened the dull, pounding sensation in his head. When Marvin took a seat next to him, the younger man used it as an opportunity to lay down fully on the sofa and rested his head on his boyfriend’s lap. 

Marvin’s sturdy thighs coupled with the soft material of his pyjama bottoms made a great pillow for his weary head, and Whizzer could help but sigh with content. Marvin took the wet cloth and lay it carefully back over Whizzer’s face before returning his hand to the younger man’s hair, playing with it in what he hoped was a soothing manner. 

Judging by the way Whizzer whined softly, closing his eyes and leaning into Marvin’s touch, he figured that it probably was. 

Jason, after finally deciding that he wanted to watch Clueless because ‘it’s Heather Levin’s favourite movie’ and he wanted to be able to talk to her about it, took a seat next to his dad on the sofa and leaned into his side. 

It wasn’t long before he noticed Whizzer’s breathing even out, gentle snores escaping him as he finally fell into sleep once more. 

“Is he okay?” Jason asked, eyeing Whizzer carefully. There was a rare tone of concern lacing his voice. “I’ve never seen him get sick before.” 

Marvin sighed, looking down at his lover. His features had softened with rest but his skin was still pale and clammy with sweat. He did, however, look much more at peace as he slept, and was never any less beautiful than he usual was. Sure, his hair wasn’t styled to perfection and his parted lips were drier than usual, but the pained expression was wiped from his face and that’s all Marvin could wish for. 

“He doesn’t get sick very often, but he’ll be fine,” Marvin answered. Jason seemed satisfied with his answer - that or he chose not to ask any more questions. 

The pair continued to watch the movie, although Marvin was paying more attention to the rise and fall of Whizzer’s chest, slow and steady if not a little wheezy. His heart swelled at the sight of his lover, Marvin’s hoodie only a little bit tight on the broader man, but he looked at peace regardless and Marvin couldn’t explain the warm sensation he felt seeing Whizzer look so content wearing his clothing. 

Marvin sighed, deciding it was only far to his son that he paid more attention to the TV screen, but he would continue to sneak glances at his sleeping lover. 

Everything would be fine. 

Whizzer would wake up in the morning and feel better, and if he didn’t they’d go to the doctors and Marvin’s mind would be put to rest.

He just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure about this chapter but I'm ✨going through it✨ tonight and writing helps so I hope it's not too bad! 
> 
> add me on tumblr @stay-frosty or Twitter @forresttmoss


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whizzer goes to the doctors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my gosh, hey, I'm not dead. nor have i lost interest in this story, i have just been SO busy for past month (i think this is the longest this fic has gone without an update - i am so sorry). 
> 
> I'm trying - but things kinda suck right now. usually writing is my escape but lately ive had no time to even do that, but i hope you guys are still willing to stick with this story

Whizzer did not feel better the next day but had managed to worm his way out of going to the doctor with the compromise that he would drink plenty of water and get some rest. Marvin wasn’t thrilled with the idea but reluctantly gave in to his boyfriend’s request that they take it easy for the day rather than jump straight into medical appointments. 

The following Monday, however, when his fever was yet to shift, Whizzer was frog marched next door by Marvin to see Charlotte. The younger man breezed through the typical excuses: _ ‘she shouldn’t have to work from home’,  _ and  _ ‘it’s probably just a cold, Marv, you’re being dramatic’,  _ but none would deter Marvin from his mission - said mission being ‘get his boyfriend to a doctor’. 

With a dramatic eye roll from Whizzer, whose pain was, admittedly, augmenting by the minute, they knocked on Charlotte and Cordelia’s door. It was the blonde who answered, her hair tied back into a ponytail and flour covering her from head to toe. Her bright and sunny expression fell as she took in Whizzer’s appearance, a concerned frown replacing the usual contagious smile she wore on her lips. 

“Whizzer’s sick,” Marvin said, foolishly declaring the obvious. Someone with impaired vision could tell you that the younger man, clad with sweat and as pale as the white walls of their floor that were beginning to chip and crumble, had taken to some form of illness. 

“Charlie’s at work,” Cordelia responded apologetically, her worried eyes never once leaving Whizzer. Marvin noticed how she nervously wrung her hands together, scraping away anxiously at the skin beside her nails as she scanned the man’s slumped gait. 

“Told ya,” Whizzer wheezed, his intended sarcasm undermined by the way his throat tightened as the words left his lips, followed by a cough. Marvin wrapped an arm around the younger man’s waist, allowing Whizzer to reluctantly lean against him. 

Cordelia pursed her lips. “You can come in until she’s home,” she offered sweetly. “I have cookies in at the minute but I can make some chicken soup.” 

Whizzer nearly said no, wanting nothing more than to drag Marvin back into their apartment and wallow in his own self-pity, but the hopeful look on Delia’s face combined with Marvin’s worried glances gave him no choice. “That would be great, Dee,” he agreed, forcing a cheery demeanour. “Thank you.” 

One thing that Whizzer always loved about Charlotte and Cordelia’s apartment was that it always smelt like home. Whizzer wouldn’t lie and say that he had the most wonderful of childhoods, but the fond memories he did have always included his mother. He’d return home from school to the scent of muffins and cupcakes that were almost enough the dampen the smell of stale beer that seemed to be embedded in the Brown-family walls. Delia always managed to remind him of that. 

“Take a seat, I’ll go grab you some water,” she said kindly before disappearing into the kitchen. 

Whizzer was grateful to sit down; his tired limbs ached more and more by the minute. With a sigh, he settled himself down onto the sofa, Marvin right beside him. “You know we could always just got to the doctor’s office enough of bothering poor Charlotte,” he deadpanned. 

Marvin chuckled lightly. “You’re right,” he agreed. “I just thought it would be quicker than having to actually travel. Besides, you don’t exactly look up to a car journey.” 

Despite the grumble he let escape, Whizzer’s lips curved into a small smile as he laid his head against the back of the sofa. “Whatever, I still feel bad.” 

Before he had a chance to hear Marvin’s response, Cordelia re-entered the sitting room with two tall glasses of water in her hands. “Don’t be silly Whizzer,” she said, catching the back end of their conversation. “You have nothing to feel bad about. Here.” She handed him the drink. 

“Char’s break is usually in about 10 minutes, why don’t I call her and see if she has any free appointments for today?” the blonde suggested. “If she does then we can go see her at work, if not you’ll just have to wait until she’s home.” 

It seemed about as much compromise that Whizzer was going to get without feeling terrible about it, so he was quick to agree. The minutes passed quickly despite the unrelenting thudding inside his brain.

As much as he appreciated the concern, he now had two overbearing fusspots rallying around him like he was a small child when really all he wanted to do was sleep. It was nice though, to catch up with their friend, even if his fuzzy mind made it difficult to completely catch on to what she was saying. Something about a recipe, his brain supplied. 

Her ramblings were cut short when her phone went off, buzzing from the coffee table. “That’ll be Charlotte,” she explained as she reached for the device. “I’ll be two minutes.” 

Whizzer allowed his eyes to shut once Cordelia had left the room, and soon enough could feel a gentle hand against his forehead. He made no attempt to swat it away, as the cool touch against his heated skin was soothing, and if anything he found himself leaning into it.

“Marv,” he whined, allowing himself to relax against his lover’s body. More than happy to reciprocate the affection, Marvin wrapped an arm around Whizzer’s shoulder and pulled the younger man closer. 

"I know baby," he cooed, pressing a delicate kiss onto Whizzer’s forehead. “We’ll get you better soon.” 

“Stop,” Whizzer slurred, his voice thick with tiredness. “I don’t wanna get you sick.” 

The older man chuckled lightly. “That just means I have all the more excuse to stay home and baby you.” 

Whizzer groaned, hiding the small smile on his face. “Lucky me.” 

Not long after, Cordelia re-entered the room, finalizing her conversation with Charlotte. “She has a free space in about 40 minutes, we should maybe set off in a few?” 

“You coming with?” Marvin asked. It was sweet of her to be so worried for Whizzer. 

“Of course,” she beamed. “I wanna make sure Whiz is okay, plus I’m bringing cookies for Char.” 

The car journey seemed to take forever. All Whizzer could truly focus on was vibrations running through his skull as he leant his head against the window, relishing at the relief that the cool glass brought to his firey skin. In the background, he could faintly recognise Marvin and Cordelia chatting away as they drove, Delia in the back and Marvin driving. 

“We’re here,” he heard Marvin’s voice say, and with a grumble, he lifted his head from the window. 

He knew he must look a state; hair sweaty and dishevelled. His thoughts were only confirmed by the adoring smirk on his lover’s face, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He just wanted this trip over with so Marvin would calm down and he could sleep. 

“Come on pretty boy,” Marvin said playfully. “Let’s get you looked at.” 

Whizzer nodded and allowed Marvin to pull him along like a puppy as they entered the building, Cordelia beside them with a Tupperware filled with cookies. They were only in the waiting room for about five minutes before Whizzer’s name was called.

For a minute he was expecting Marvin and Cordelia to trail after him and was thankful when the pair seemed to decide against it. Cordelia handed him the box of cookies, asking him to give them to Charlotte before pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. 

“Do you want me to come in with you?” Marvin asked gently, laying a careful hand on Whizzer’s arm. The younger man shook his head, sending his lover a grateful smile. 

“I’m okay, can you stay here though?” Whizzer replied as if he really expected Marvin to just go back to the car without him. 

“Of course.” 

When Whizzer disappeared off into the hallway with a nervous nod, Marvin took a seat beside Cordelia and made awkward eye contact with an elderly lady sitting opposite them. “Was that your boyfriend?” she asked kindly, except her attention was focussed on the blonde beside him. 

The corners of Marvin’s mouth twitched with amusement at Cordelia’s obnoxious snort, a hearty giggle escaping her lips. “God no,” she answered, the hand over her mouth doing nothing to stifle her laughter. The woman before them seemed apologetic. 

“He’s, uh, _ my _ boyfriend,” Marvin explained with an awkward wave. Had he been involved in the same conversation a few years ago, he may have secretly hoped that Cordelia had gone along with it so that he didn’t have to admit to being gay to complete strangers. Now, while there were still butterflies in his stomach as he uttered the words, he took pride in calling Whizzer his boyfriend. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, sweetheart,” the lady said softly. “I didn’t mean to assume. I hope he’s feeling better soon.” 

The accepting reaction was, admittedly, refreshing. Not that he was ashamed of Whizzer by any means, but Marvin’s crippling fear of judgement would show its ugly face every now and then; acceptance was always nice, no matter who it was from. 

“Thank you,” he said earnestly, before turning his attention back to Cordelia. “He’s terrified of doctors,” he told her with an anxious sigh. “I wish he’d just let me take care of him.” 

The blonde lay a gentle hand on Marvin’s thigh. “I know, honey, but he’s with Charlie,” she replied with a sympathetic tone. “He’ll be okay.” 

Whizzer’s hands trembled ever so slightly as he knocked on the door to Charlotte’s office. He didn’t know what he was so worked up about; Charlotte was one of his best friends in the world - she wouldn’t do anything to make him uncomfortable. 

“Come in,” he heard and followed suit. 

Charlotte’s face fell when she caught sight of him. “You really aren’t feeling good, are you?” she asked, her professional tone turning soft. 

Whizzer shook his head. “Delia made you these,” he said, placing the cookies on her desk. “She’s in the waiting room, I asked them to wait outside,” he explained apologetically. 

“She’s an angel,” Charlotte swooned, a small smile on her face before she seemed to remember where she was at. “If you take a seat I’ll be with you in a second.” 

Whizzer nodded and did as he was instructed, sitting down on the sturdy chair that Charlotte had motioned to. 

“When did your symptoms begin?” she asked as she began to disinfect her hands from the other side of the room. 

“Saturday.” 

Charlotte nodded before taking a seat in front of him. “I’m gonna go through the basics, take your temperature, blood pressure and check your lungs. That okay?” 

With a shuddering breath, Whizzer nodded.  _ It’s just Charlotte,  _ he quickly reminded himself. Physical affection was still something that he struggled with, Marvin being the exception as long as Whizzer could be the one to initiate it most of the time. Jason, too, of course - but his want for touch didn’t extend much further than inside their little home. 

It wasn’t as bad as he expected, the cool end of the stethoscope felt good against his warm skin, and the only other contact he could feel was Charlotte’s gentle fingers brushing against him every now and then. He could only hope his flinch at the initial contact wasn’t too noticeable. 

“You nervous?” Charlotte asked, her brows furrowed with concern. She pulled her hands away from him completely. 

Right. She could feel his heartbeat, which was currently racing at a mile a minute. 

“A little,” he admitted softly, curling in on himself. He was suddenly thankful he’d asked Marvin and Cordelia to wait outside. 

“Do you want to take a break? We can just go through a few questions first if you’d rather.” 

He shook his head. He just wanted to get this over with. 

Charlotte made her movements much more deliberate from then on, taking things slow and warning him in good time before she was going to touch him. It didn’t necessarily take away the fact that doctor’s offices freaked him out in the first place (maybe Marvin was onto something when he suggested just going next door) but he was much less jumpy. 

Whizzer managed to stay calm and collected as they went through the typical procedures: taking his temperature, his blood pressure (which was, by far, the worst) and checking his eyes for proper dilation. Charlotte made notes as they went, but wasn’t particularly vocal about what she was jotting down. 

“Have Marvin or Jason shown any similar symptoms?”

Whizzer shook his head. “Jace was sick like a month or so ago but hasn’t been since.” 

She nodded, her face pinched in concentration. “Have you eaten anything weird?” 

He couldn’t help but think she was being slightly more informal with him than she would be with her usual patients, or at least he hoped so. “Nothing Marv hasn’t eaten as well.” 

Charlotte hummed before putting down the clipboard. “Do you mind if I take a blood sample? It’s probably nothing more than the flu but since you’re the only one in your household with symptoms we want to check it’s nothing more.” 

Whizzer sighed, circling his fingers around his wrist anxiously. He hated needles, freaked out at the sight of one, but he knew Char wouldn’t make him endure something that she didn’t think was necessary. 

“I can get Marvin in if that would help?” 

Despite his general distaste for being seen as vulnerable, Whizzer found himself nodding. Having Marvin by his side would make the process so much easier - and if it didn’t, Charlotte wouldn’t be left alone to deal with one of his anxiety attacks. As much as he hated to let that fall on Marvin, he couldn’t help but see it as a best-case scenario. 

With a nod, she made a phone call, presumably to the front desk and within 20 seconds or so had ended the conversation and turned her attention back to Whizzer. “You know I would never do anything to hurt you, right?”

Whizzer let out a nervous laugh. “Of course,” he said sincerely. “I’m sorry, doctors freak me out. No offence.” 

Charlotte chuckled lightly, and Whizzer found himself grinning along. “None taken.” 

Within minutes, the door to her office opened carefully. Whizzer turned to see Marvin, whose general presence seemed to soothe him despite the worried look on the older man’s face. He barely noticed Cordelia peering behind him. 

“You okay?” Marvin asked, quickly taking a stance beside Whizzer’s chair. 

“I’m fine,” Whizzer responded, keening as Marvin ran a gentle hand through the strands of his hair. The simple gesture was enough for the younger man to remember to breathe, to remember that nothing was going to hurt him. He turned a rosy shade of pink as he quietly admitted: “Just don’t like needles.” 

He didn’t know what he was so embarrassed about; Marvin was already fully aware of this fact and had been with Whizzer through several flu shots, but it still felt childish to admit aloud. The older man grabbed Whizzer’s hand, running his thumb gently across the knuckles in lieu of making a comment. The brunette sighed, finally building up enough nerve to lay his arm out for Charlotte to do what she needed to. 

“You’re okay,” Marvin soothed gently from beside him. Whizzer tried not to grimace too noticeably as the needle went into his arm. He tried, instead, to focus on his lover’s gentle voice. “Shhh, it’s alright. You’re doing well.” 

It was over before he knew it, and Charlotte had assured him she would call with the results tomorrow. She explained that she had no other patients for the day, only paperwork to be getting on with so Delia was going to just head home with her when she finished work. 

“Thank you for seeing me at such short notice Char, I appreciate it.” The truth that ordeal would have been so much worse if he hadn't been seen by someone he trusted, by someone who was already aware of his boundaries. “I love you.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Charlotte replied nonchalantly, however the smile on her lips was clear. “Love you too, get some rest.” She pointed to Marvin. “Make sure he takes care of himself.” 

Marvin sent her a mocking salute before breaking out into a grin. “Of course.” 

And with that, they  _ finally  _ went home to do the only thing Whizzer had wanted to do since they left the apartment that morning. The brunette sighed, finally clad in a fresh pair of pyjamas rather than the clammy clothes he had worn all day, as his head hit the soft pillow. 

“Lay down with me,” he whined, looking over to Marvin who was yet to change.

“I need to make dinner,” his lover responded apologetically. “But I’ll be right back up when i’v-” 

Whizzer interrupted the man with a groan. “Just order in,” he said, aware of how childish the pout on his face must look. “But  _ later.  _ Come lay down.” 

Well, who was Marvin to argue with a pretty face like that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm feeling kinda doubtful about this chapter and my writing in general lately (another reason this took so long) so if you guys don't mind letting me know your thoughts i would appreciate it so much,,, thank you :))


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